Israel has begun the release of more than 600 Palestinians, including a number of women and children, just days before the first phase of the ceasefire agreement is due to expire.
The latest release has also been marred by delays after Israel initially postponed the release of the Palestinian prisoners in protest of Hamas’ handover ceremonies.
On Thursday morning, following a series of delays by Israel, authorities started to hand over prisoners who returned to emotional scenes and loved ones in the West Bank and Gaza.
Having already delayed previous handovers of Palestinian prisoners, the move further cast uncertainty over whether the ceasefire deal would hold.
It’s understood that this will mark the final hostage exchange before the ceasefire terms are due to expire on Saturday, casting uncertainty over the future of peace in the region.
.jpg?trim=14,0,15,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=1000)
