Israel and Hamas announced that, with the help of mediators, they reached an agreement on the night of February 26 to exchange the remains of four deceased Israeli hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, maintaining a fragile ceasefire that appeared to be on the verge of collapse.
Israel postponed the release of 600 prisoners, originally scheduled for last weekend, in protest against what it deemed Hamas's brutal treatment of the hostages during their release.
The group described the delay as a "serious violation" of the ceasefire, which was supposed to enter its second phase this weekend.
However, Hamas now claims that an agreement has been reached to resolve the conflict.
Prisoners will be released simultaneously with the transfer of the bodies of the Israeli hostages, which has been decided, according to a statement from Hamas. The group confirmed that the exchange will take place on Wednesday.
Previous exchanges were marred by what Israel, the UN, and the Red Cross called "humiliating ceremonies" during the transfer of live hostages and the bodies of the deceased.
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Last week, the preservation of the ceasefire was jeopardized when a forensic examination conducted in Israel showed that the returned body, allegedly belonging to hostage Shiri Bibas, actually belonged to an unidentified woman.
Today's exchange concludes the fulfillment of commitments by both parties in the first stage of the ceasefire and paves the way for the second stage, which includes negotiations for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, ended 15 months of hostilities in the region. Israel launched Operation "Iron Swords" following the attack by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and around 250 people taken hostage.