602 Palestinians in Israeli prisons will be released
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The Palestinian group Hamas has released six more Israeli hostages. Hamas assigned Avera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, Omer Shem Tov, Elia Cohen, Omar Wenkert and Tal Shoam to the International Red Cross representative in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Mengistu, 38, and al-Sayed, 37, were arrested after entering Gaza in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Israel said they both had mental health issues. Tov, 22, Cohen, 27, and Wenkert, 23, were taken hostage on October 7, 2023. Shoam, 40, was abducted from Kibbutz Beiri.
Along with Hamas freeing 6 hostages, Israel is also releasing 622 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. 50 of them were sentenced to life imprisonment. 60 people are serving long term imprisonment . Others have been detained without charge since October 7.
The hostages have been released for the seventh time since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into force about a month ago. This is the last release under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Earlier, Hamas handed over the bodies of 4 Israeli hostages on Thursday. But the family said that the body sent as that of Siri Vibas was not his. Soon after, Hamas handed over the body of Wibas on Friday.
