Photo: Israeli prisoners Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levi, accompanied by Hamas fighters, before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, 8 February 2025. AP/Abdel Kareem Hana
The leadership of the Hamas terrorist organisation has stated that in the second phase of the deal, it proposes an option to exchange prisoners under the “all for all” formula. This was reported by the Qatari TV channel Al Jazeera.
“We are ready for the second phase, during which prisoners will be exchanged one at a time upon reaching an agreement leading to a complete ceasefire and withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in a statement.
This formula was previously discussed, but in February 2024, the Hamas leadership announced that it was no longer considering such a scenario.
Current status of the exchange
After six live hostages and the bodies of four dead are handed over to Israel this week, the terrorists will still be holding 59 hostages, including at least 28 dead bodies.
The bodies of the dead will be handed over on 20 February, and the six living hostages are to be released on 22 February. Among them:
1. Omer Venkert(23 years old, Heder, abducted at the Nova festival)
2. Elijah Cohen(27 years old, Tsur Adassa, abducted at the Nova festival)
3. Omer Shem-Tov(21 years old, Herzliya, abducted at the Nova festival)
4. Tal Shoham(39, Ma’ale Tzviya, abducted from Be’eri)
5. Abraham Avera Mengistu(38 years old, mentally ill, went to Gaza in 2014)
6. Hisham Shaaban al-Sayed(36 years old, mentally ill, went to Gaza in 2015)
The Palestinian Authority’s Prisoners’ Affairs Department has announced that Israel is to release 602 prisoners as part of the next phase of the deal. Among them are 157 convicted terrorists and 445 Gazans detained after 7 October 2023.
Among them:
– 50 people are servinglife sentences (convicted of murder)
– 60 people are servinglong prison sentences
– 108 released terrorists will be deported to Egypt and then to third countries
US role and negotiations on the second phase of the deal
US President Donald Trump had earlier demanded the release of all hostages by 15 February. Israel supported this position, but agreed to a compromise: on that day, three hostages were released in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners, including 36 serving life sentences.
Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, are trying to move to the second stage of the agreement. At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on extending the first stage to release more hostages.
In total, 24 hostages(19 Israeli and 5 Thai citizens) were released in January-February 2025 as part of the first stage of the agreement. Six more hostages are expected to be released and the bodies of eight dead are expected to be recovered.
The first stage envisages that Israel will release up to 1904 Palestinian prisoners, including 737 serving life or long-term sentences.
Hamas’ demands for an end to the war
The second phase of the agreement could be the final stage of the Iron Swords war. Hamas insists on a complete cessation of hostilities, as well as on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, including the “Philadelphia Corridor”.
The terrorist organisation is also demanding international guarantees that Israel will not resume hostilities after the release of all hostages.
