The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas released an Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, in the Jabalia refugee camp on Thursday as part of a prisoner exchange deal under the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

According to reports, Berger was handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Al-Razan area of northern Gaza. Two additional Israeli captives are expected to be freed later in the day in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners unlawfully held in Israeli jails.

The Israeli military confirmed it had received the freed soldier from the Red Cross, stating that she would be taken to an army facility near the border settlement of Re’im for medical evaluation.

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on January 19, has momentarily paused Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza, which has led to the deaths of over 47,400 Palestinians—mostly women and children—while more than 111,000 others have been injured since October 7, 2023.

So far, eight Israeli captives, including four soldiers, have been released in exchange for 290 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were detained without charge or trial under Israel’s widely condemned administrative detention policy. The deal stipulates that 33 Israeli captives will be freed in exchange for between 1,700 and 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

The Israeli military campaign has reduced entire neighborhoods in Gaza to rubble, leaving over 11,000 people missing under the debris and pushing the population to the brink of starvation due to Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid. The devastation is widely regarded as one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times, with children and the elderly succumbing to hunger, disease, and lack of medical care.

International legal bodies have taken action against Israel's leadership. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the besieged enclave.

Despite international outcry and mounting legal scrutiny, Israel continues to violate ceasefire agreements, with ongoing attacks on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. (ILKHA)