Hamas begins releasing Israeli captives as part of Gaza ceasefire deal

Hamas began releasing living Israeli captives on Monday as part of a deal to end the war on Gaza and facilitate a prisoner exchange.

Seven of the 20 Israeli captives held in Gaza were handed over to the International Red Cross at 8:00 AM local time (5:00 AM GMT), and were later transferred to the Israeli military.

A further thirteen captives are expected to be released by 10:00 AM local time (7:00 AM GMT).

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have begun preparations for the release of 1,966 Palestinian prisoners as part of the agreement.

According to Reuters, the Palestinian detainees have boarded buses ahead of their release to the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Some will be expelled from Palestine altogether, initially transferred to Egypt before relocating to other destinations at a later stage.

The group includes 250 people serving long or life sentences, and approximately 1,718 individuals who were kidnapped from the Gaza Strip over the past two years.

The list does not include high-profile Palestinian figures whose release was requested by Hamas but rejected by Israel.

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