Hamas handed captive Israeli soldier Agam Berger over to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the first of eight captives set to be released today as part of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip .
Hamas is set to free two more Israeli and five Thai captives, while Israel will release another 110 Palestinian detainees, in the third such exchange since fighting paused earlier this month. Berger, 20, was taken by Hamas alongside four other female soldiers, who were freed on Saturday, while Israel has taken thousands of Palestinians captive since 7 October 2023.
The tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is aimed at ending the war in Gaza, which has killed well over 47,000 Palestinians, and securing the release of captives held by both sides. Under the ceasefire, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have jubilantly returned to northern Gaza over the past three days.
However, their homecoming has been bittersweet as nearly everyone has friends or relatives who died while many northern neighborhoods have been transformed into an apocalyptic landscape of devastation after more than 15 months Israeli bombing.
Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its siege on the occupied West Bank, including Tamun were ten Palestinians were reported killed in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, UNRWA, the main relief organisation for Gaza, is set to close on Thursday, which could have devastating results for the besieged enclave.
