The ongoing first phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages freed over six weeks in exchange for up to 1,904 Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Mohammed Abu Warda, a Palestinian terrorist freed on Jan. 30 and who was supposed to be deported to a third country, has been seen at Hamas’ handover ceremony in Khan Yunis wearing a green keffiyeh associated with the terror group.
Warda was serving 48 life sentences for attacks on Israeli busses that killed 44 people in the 1990s.
Among the hundreds of Palestinian terrorists released by Israel under the terms of the ceasefire are 19 who were to be deported abroad via Egypt after being taken to the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza.
That crossing is adjacent to the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Israel’s Kan News reported that Egypt is refusing to let them enter.
Hamas says it is handing over the bodies of Shiri Bibas, her sons, Ariel and Kfir, and Oded Lifshitz today. Deferring to the families, Israel is not confirming the names until the bodies are positively identified.
The ongoing first phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages freed over six weeks in exchange for up to 1,904 Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel.
The exact number will depend on how many Israeli captives are alive. Hamas notified Israeli authorities in January that of the 33, eight are dead, but offered no evidence.
Since the first hostage release on Jan. 19, Hamas has freed 19 Israeli and five Thai captives in exchange for 952 imprisoned Palestinian terrorists.
Hostages Tal Shoham, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham Al-Sayed are due to return home alive on Saturday.
The fate of the remaining 65 hostages will be determined by negotiations during the ceasefire’s second phase. Critics say the phased approach condemns these 65 hostages to open-ended captivity and undermines Israel’s war gains.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 73 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed to be dead.
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