Israel and Hamas complete first hostage exchange

Thus, the two sides have completed the first hostage exchange within the framework of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza that took effect 1 day earlier.

According to IPS, the 90 prisoners were released from Ofer prison and the Jerusalem detention center. Israel has released a list of 734 out of 737 prisoners scheduled to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Accordingly, Israel will permanently deport over 230 prisoners, all of whom are serving life sentences. Some Hamas sources said those deported will mainly go to Qatar or Türkiye.

Under the ceasefire agreement, more than 1,000 other Palestinians, who have been detained by Israel since October 7, 2023, will also be released for an initial period of 42 days. Israel and Hamas reached the deal, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, to end more than 15 months of conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The first phase of the deal includes the release of a total of about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The truce is expected to allow for increased humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and facilitate a lasting ceasefire as well as the release of a total of 91 Israeli and foreign hostages still held in Gaza.

The Israeli military said 34 of the remaining hostages in Gaza were confirmed dead. Three hostages, all women, were released earlier on January 19 as part of a ceasefire deal.

Regarding the situation in Gaza, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is deeply concerned about the health situation in Gaza.

On the social media platform X, he stressed that restoring the health system in Gaza will be a very complex and difficult task, especially considering the scale of destruction, operational complexity and existing limitations after more than 15 months of conflict.

Also on January 19, the Elysee Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron stressed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Gaza needs Palestinian governance, after Israel and the Hamas movement reached a ceasefire.

During a phone call on January 18, President Macron said that this requires the full participation of the Palestinian Authority and that the future of Gaza must move towards the establishment of a Palestinian state, while ensuring that a tragedy like the attack on October 7, 2023, cannot happen again.

The Elysee Palace noted that it is essential to act immediately to meet the urgent essential needs of the Gaza people, ensuring the provision of large-scale humanitarian aid, in line with the needs of the population.