After Various Complications, Israel-Hamas Prisoner Exchange Talks Resume; 600 Palestinian Prisoners to Be Released

After Various Complications, Israel-Hamas Prisoner Exchange Talks Resume; 600 Palestinian Prisoners to Be Released

Israeli and Hamas officials announced on Tuesday that they have reached a new agreement to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bodies of dead hostages, which will keep the fragile ceasefire intact for a few more days.

Israel has delayed the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday, claiming that Hamas had treated the hostages inhumanely during their release. Hamas has called this delay a "serious violation" and stated that discussions on the second phase would not be possible until the prisoners are freed.

This deadlock had posed a risk of collapsing the ceasefire, which is set to expire this weekend as the first six-week phase of the deal comes to an end.

However, late on Tuesday, Hamas announced that an agreement had been reached during a visit to Cairo by a delegation led by Khalil Al-Hayya, a top political official of the group. The agreement cleared the way for the return of the bodies of four Israeli dead hostages and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

An Israeli official confirmed that an agreement had been made to bring the bodies back in the coming days, but did not provide further details. Israeli media reports suggest that the exchange could take place as early as Wednesday, with the bodies being handed over to Egyptian authorities without any public ceremony.

This agreement will fulfill the obligations of both sides in the first phase of the ceasefire, during which Hamas has returned 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Additionally, this agreement could pave the way for the commencement of the second phase of discussions, during which all remaining hostages held by Hamas will be released, and negotiations to end the war will take place.