Hamas Initiates Seventh Round of Exchange Deal; Six “Israeli” Captives Released

By Staff, Agencies

The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has initiated the process of handing over six “Israeli” captives in the seventh round of exchanging captives with the occupying entity as part of the recent ceasefire agreement.

The Gaza-based movement handed over the six “Israeli” captives to the International Red Cross in the southern city of Rafah on Saturday, in the seventh batch of the first phase of the ceasefire deal clinched in mid-January.

The first handover, including two “Israeli” captives, took place in Rafah, where Hamas raised a banner in the exchange site that read, "We are the flood, we are the extreme strength."

Palestinian Ma'an News Agency reported that the exchanges had been arranged by the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, in two locations, with the first in Rafah and the second in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip.

Hamas had earlier confirmed that it would release the six “Israeli” captives, in exchange for 602 Palestinian detainees.

The "Israeli" entity’s officials announced on Saturday the names of the Palestinian detainees scheduled to be released under the new round of exchange deal.