Israel and Hamas Complete Prisoner Exchange, Marking End of Ceasefire Phase 1

Israel and Hamas Complete Prisoner Exchange

On Saturday, Israel and Hamas completed the sixth exchange of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. This exchange marked the end of the initial phase of their fragile Gaza ceasefire, which began on January 19th.

The three Israeli hostages, Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn, American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, and Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, appeared to be in better condition than the emaciated hostages freed a week ago. Troufanov was informed of his father's death in the Hamas-led attack that sparked the 16-month war, while Chen prepared to meet his youngest daughter for the first time.

The exchange was almost derailed earlier in the week by a tense dispute and President Trump's proposal to relocate Gaza's Palestinians. However, Hamas agreed to move forward after mediators pledged to ensure Israel would allow more aid into Gaza.

The ceasefire faces a bigger challenge with its first phase concluding in early March. There have been no substantive negotiations over the second phase, in which Hamas would release all remaining hostages in return for ending the war.

The newly released Palestinian prisoners included 36 serving life sentences for involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis. They also included Ahmed Barghouti, a close aide of militant leader Marwan Barghouti.

As part of the ceasefire, Israel has also committed to releasing over 1,000 detainees from Gaza who did not participate in the October 7th attack.

The war has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and displaced 90% of Gaza's population. Hundreds of thousands have returned to their homes during the ceasefire, though many found only rubble and unexploded ordnance.

The future of the ceasefire remains uncertain, with both sides facing pressure to resume the war. The relocation proposal by President Trump has also added another layer of complexity to the negotiations.