ALWAGHT- The transfer of Israeli captives Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu occurred today for the first time in Rafah, just a short distance from the Israeli military.
The Palestinian Resistance handed over six Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday as part of the seventh exchange under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson, Abu Obeida, identified the released captives as Eliya Cohen, Omar Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham al-Sayed. The first handover occurred in Rafah, where the Resistance displayed a banner reading, "We Are The Flood... We Are The Extreme Might." Hundreds of al-Qassam Brigades fighters were deployed in the area during the exchange.
The Israeli military confirmed that Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu were escorted out of Gaza and brought to Israel. The second handover took place in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, where Shem Tov, Cohen, and Wenkert were released. Later, Hisham al-Sayed was handed over to the ICRC in Gaza City. The Resistance also displayed six Israeli weapons captured during Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. The exchanges took place amid a highly charged atmosphere, with banners emphasizing Palestinian resistance and the distinction between local and dual-national prisoners.
In return for the released captives, Israel agreed to release 50 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 60 serving long-term sentences, and 47 prisoners previously freed in the "Wafa al-Ahrar" exchange deal but later re-arrested. Additionally, 445 detainees from Gaza, captured after October 7, 2023, were set for release. Palestinian prisoners were being gathered at Ofer prison for transfer, primarily to Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli forces increased their presence around the prison and raided homes of detainees in the West Bank scheduled for release.
