Hamas to release hostages by end of week

The release of the first Israeli hostages by the Hamas movement is expected on Sunday. This was reported by the Reuters agency, citing a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The release of the hostages will take place under the recently concluded ceasefire agreement.

Under the terms of the deal, the first phase, scheduled to last six weeks, provides for the handover of 33 Israeli citizens. Among them will be women, both military personnel and civilians, as well as children and men over the age of 50.

In turn, Israel commits to releasing all Palestinian women and minors under the age of 19 held in Israeli prisons. The total number of Palestinians released across all stages of the agreement is expected to range from 990 to 1,650, including men, women, and children.