Israeli occupation authorities on Thursday released 642 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as part of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, according to Palestinian sources.

The release, which was brokered through mediation by Egypt and Qatar with support from the United States, marks the largest such release since the agreement began.

Local sources reported that buses carrying the freed detainees departed from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, heading towards a reception center in Beitunia. This latest wave of releases merged the seventh and eighth batches of prisoners initially scheduled for separate transfers.

Hamas has described the release as a significant victory for the Palestinian people. Spokesperson Hazem Qassem highlighted the achievement, stating, “We are witnessing one of the achievements of the Palestinian people with the release of the seventh and eighth batches of prisoners, which is the largest so far within the ceasefire agreement arrangements.” He reiterated Hamas’s unwavering commitment to securing the freedom of Palestinian prisoners in any future exchange negotiations.

The release comes after negotiations in Cairo between Hamas officials and Egyptian mediators resolved a dispute that had delayed the process. The delay followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands for guarantees against what he termed “provocative military parades,” referring to previous celebrations by Palestinians upon the return of their imprisoned relatives.

As part of the exchange, Hamas also transferred the bodies of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza to the International Committee of the Red Cross, in accordance with the ceasefire arrangement. The hostages—Shlomo Mantzur, 86, Tsahi Idan, 50, Ohad Yahalomi, 50, and Itzik Elgarat, 69—had been captured during the October 7 Palestinian resistance operation against Israeli military and settler targets.

According to the Gaza Media Office, the 642 released prisoners include 445 Gazans who were arrested after the war began, as well as 11 others detained before the war. The group also includes 24 women and minors from Gaza, along with 43 prisoners from the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Notably, 97 of the freed individuals are being forcibly deported abroad, underscoring Israel's continued policy of demographic displacement against Palestinians.

The mass release of Palestinian detainees reflects the ongoing struggle of the Palestinian people against Israeli occupation and oppression. Many of those freed had been subjected to harsh conditions, arbitrary detention, and life sentences under Israel's military judicial system, which human rights organizations have long criticized as unjust and discriminatory.

Palestinians across the occupied territories and Gaza celebrated the return of their loved ones, reaffirming their commitment to the resistance against Israeli aggression. With the ceasefire in place, many hope this exchange will pave the way for further negotiations aimed at securing the release of all Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails. (ILKHA)