jordan pulse -

Hamas is set to release three Israeli captives on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners as part of the latest phase of a ceasefire agreement aimed at paving the way to ending the war in Gaza.

Hamas announced that it would hand over Ohad Ben Ami and Eliyahu Sharabi, who were taken from Be’eri settlement during the October 7, 2023, attack, along with Or Levy, who was captured the same day while attending the Nova music festival.

In return, Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners, including 18 serving life sentences, 54 with long-term sentences, and 111 detained in Gaza during the war, according to Hamas’ media office.

This exchange is the latest in a series that has so far freed 13 Israeli captives, five Thai workers taken during “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” and 583 Palestinian prisoners.

Despite obstacles, the ceasefire agreement has remained in effect for nearly three weeks.

However, concerns over its collapse have grown following U.S. President Donald Trump’s unexpected proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and place the territory under U.S. control, developing it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

Arab states and Palestinian groups have rejected the proposal, which critics say amounts to ethnic cleansing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump's intervention and instructed Defense Minister Israel Katz to prepare plans allowing Palestinians who wish to leave Gaza to do so.

Under the agreement, 33 Israeli children, women, and elderly men will be freed in an initial phase in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Negotiations for the second phase began days ago, aiming to secure the release of the remaining captives and a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza to finalize an end to the war.