Hamas, Israel Reach Agreement on Prisoner Release; Ceasefire Talks Continue

Hamas has announced an agreement with Israel to resolve a delay in the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, Al Jazeera reports.

The agreement follows Hamas’ release of six Israeli captives from Gaza last week, fulfilling its end of the initial ceasefire agreement.

Hamas confirmed on Wednesday that Israel will release a new group of Palestinian women and children from its prisons on Thursday. Simultaneously, the group will hand over the bodies of four deceased Israeli captives.

The deal comes as efforts continue to negotiate a second phase of the ongoing ceasefire. Washington’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, assured that talks for this next phase remain on track, with the initial phase scheduled to conclude on Saturday.

“We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak,” Witkoff told an event for the American Jewish Committee.

He indicated that negotiations will resume shortly, facilitated by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.

“It’s either going to be in Doha or in Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and the Qataris.”

While talks were originally slated to begin weeks ago, they had yet to materialize until this agreement. Witkoff, who plans to visit the region in the coming days, expressed his desire to swiftly move towards negotiations on the second phase. This phase aims to secure the release of all remaining captives held by Hamas and to negotiate a lasting end to the ongoing conflict.

One potential sticking point in future negotiations remains the Philadelphi Corridor, a 8.7-mile strip of land bordering Gaza and Egypt. Israel has previously expressed interest in maintaining control of this area, which could complicate any long-term ceasefire agreement.