Today, Saturday, preparations began in the Gaza Strip to hand over 6 Israeli prisoners in the seventh batch of exchange operations within the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

The Al-Qassam Brigades handed over the prisoners Avra Mengistu and Tal Shoham to the International Red Cross in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, and later handed over 4 other prisoners in the Nuseirat camp (center).

Shortly after the Red Cross signed their receipt, Mengistu and Shoham, who were soldiers, were transferred to vehicles belonging to the international organization after they climbed onto a platform erected in Al-Mashrou’ Square, east of Rafah city.

Several formations of the Qassam Brigades, including the Shadow Unit responsible for prisoners, are participating in the handover ceremonies in Rafah and Nuseirat.

A large number of Al-Qassam Brigades fighters were deployed in Rafah (southern Gaza Strip) and in the Nuseirat camp (central Gaza Strip) in preparation for handing over the six prisoners to the International Red Cross. The ceremony is also taking place in the presence of the people.

It is expected that 3 prisoners will be handed over in Rafah and 3 others in Nuseirat.

In return, 602 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released from the occupation prisons today, including 50 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, 60 with long sentences, in addition to 47 prisoners released in the Wafa al-Ahrar deal who were re-arrested by the occupation.

445 prisoners from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after October 7, 2023 will also be released.

Several formations of the Qassam Brigades are participating in the handover ceremony, including the shadow unit responsible for the prisoners.

Abu Obeida, the military spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, announced yesterday evening that the prisoners who will be released are: Ilya Cohen, Omer Shev Tov, Omer Finkert, Tal Shoham, Avra Mengistu, and Hisham al-Sayed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said it had received a list of the names of the six prisoners and had notified their families.

On the delivery platforms in Rafah and Nuseirat, the Qassam Brigades displayed weapons that the resistance fighters had seized during the battles with the Israeli occupation forces, and pictures of the resistance leaders who were martyred in the last war on the Palestinian Strip were also raised.