“Toofan Al-Ahrar” Deal: Al-Qassam Brigades Release Six Israeli Prisoners
Gaza, 22 February – (PIC): The military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, released six Israeli prisoners on Saturday as part of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange.
Two Israeli prisoners were released from the southern city of Rafah, followed by the release of four more war prisoners in Al-Nuseirat, central Gaza, and handed over to the Red Cross.
Masked and armed fighters from Al-Qassam Brigades participated in the handover process in southern and central Gaza. A large crowd of civilians was also present at the scene.
Meanwhile, 602 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released from Israeli jails today. Among them are 50 prisoners serving life sentences, 60 prisoners with long-term sentences, and 47 prisoners who were re-arrested after being freed under the 2011 “Wafa Al-Ahrar” deal.
In addition to the six Israeli prisoners, 445 Palestinian detainees who were arrested during Israel’s aggression on Gaza after October 7, 2023, are also set to be released today.
Al-Qassam Brigades’ military spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, announced yesterday evening that six Israeli captives—Eliyahu Cohen, Omer Shetuf, Omer Funkert, Tal Joham, Avraham Mengistu, and Hisham Al-Sayed—would be freed.
For the handover process, a delivery platform was set up in Al-Nuseirat, Rafah, where the prisoners were officially handed over to the Red Cross.
This location holds historical military significance, as it was near this very site that Palestinian resistance fighters launched the 2006 “Dispelled Illusion” operation, leading to the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, just three kilometers away from where today’s exchange took place.
