Three Israeli captives – Ohad Ben Ami, 56, Eli Sharabi, 52, and Or Levy, 34 – are set to be released in Gaza in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners, in the fifth swap as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel.
It follows a tense delay that came after Hamas accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire by preventing humanitarian aid and other key supplies from entering Gaza.
Hamas has said it may not be able to hand over the remains of some Israeli captives because they are among more than 12,000 bodies under the rubble, and Israel is preventing heavy equipment from entering the enclave, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
The United States Department of State has signed off on the sale to Israel of $6.75bn in bombs, guidance kits and fuses, in addition to $660m in Hellfire missiles.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed a confirmed 47,583 people and injured 111,633, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry. The Government Media Office has updated the death toll to at least 61,709 people, saying thousands of people who were missing under the rubble are now presumed dead. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Source: AJ
