The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, released a seventh group of six Israeli captives on Saturday, as part of the first phase of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.  

The release occurred in multiple locations across the Gaza Strip.  Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu were publicly handed over to Red Cross vehicles in Rafah, southern Gaza, in the presence of civilians.  The Israeli military confirmed their arrival in Israel shortly after.  

Later, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, and Omer Wenkert were released in a similar ceremony in Nuseirat, central Gaza.  Hisham al-Sayed, a 37-year-old Israeli soldier captured by Hamas in 2015, was released separately in Gaza City without a public ceremony.  

In exchange for the release of the Israeli captives, Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian prisoners. This includes 50 prisoners serving life sentences and 47 who were re-arrested after being released in the 2011 prisoner exchange deal.  

Notably, 108 of the released Palestinian prisoners will be banished from the occupied Palestinian territories, preventing their return home. Among them is Nael al-Barghouthi, considered the longest-serving political prisoner in Palestine and the world, having spent nearly 45 years in Israeli detention.  

Reports indicate that many Palestinian prisoners released in recent weeks have shown signs of torture and abuse, alleging they were beaten and mistreated until the moments before their release. (ILKHA)