Hamas Hands Over Israeli Hostages to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Under Ceasefire Deal

SEAToday.com, Ankara - Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, handed over two Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Saturday. The release was part of the seventh prisoner exchange under the ceasefire agreement reached on January 19.

As quoted by ANTARA from Turkish news agency, Anadolu, the two freed Israeli hostages are Tal Shoham, an agent of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, and Avera Mengistu, who was captured in 2014 after mysteriously entering Gaza.

The Al-Qassam Brigades and Red Cross representatives signed an official transfer protocol to ensure the safe handover of the hostages. Once all procedures were completed, the Red Cross team immediately transported them out of the area.

The Israeli military confirmed in an official statement that they had received the hostages, who were reportedly en route to Tel Aviv for initial medical evaluations.

In total, six Israeli hostages were set to be released on Saturday as part of an exchange for 602 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. The other four hostages were scheduled to be freed in Nuseirat, central Gaza.

The ceasefire, which has been in place since last month, halted the intense fighting in Gaza, which has resulted in more than 48,000 deaths, the majority of whom were women and children, and caused widespread destruction across the region.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Additionally, Israel is currently facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military actions in the region.