IRIA News

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Hamas signaled on February 19, 2025, that it plans to free all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza in a single swap during the next phase of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.

Israel and Hamas are currently implementing the first phase of a fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which has been held since its initiation on January 19, despite accusations of violations from both sides. This temporary truce, mediated by international negotiators, has allowed for a series of hostage-prisoner exchanges and humanitarian efforts in the war-ravaged region.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated on Tuesday that discussions for the second phase of the agreement would begin “this week.” This next step is expected to lay the groundwork for a more permanent resolution to the conflict, although significant challenges remain.

Readiness for full Hostage release

A senior Hamas official, Taher Al Nunu, announced that the group was prepared to release all remaining hostages in Gaza in one batch during the second phase, rather than in stages as previously done.

“We have informed the mediators that Hamas is ready to release all hostages in one batch during the second phase of the agreement, rather than in stages, as in the current first phase,” Nunu said during an interview. However, he did not specify how many hostages remain in Hamas custody.

Nunu emphasized that this move would “confirm our seriousness and complete readiness to move forward in resolving this issue, as well as to continue steps towards cementing the ceasefire and achieving a sustainable truce.”

Hostage-Prisoner swaps

Under the first phase of the ceasefire, 19 Israeli hostages have been released so far in exchange for over 1,100 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails. These exchanges, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, have been central to the implementation of the truce.

As part of the ongoing deal, Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a new swap that would see the return of all six remaining living hostages eligible for release under phase one. This exchange is expected to take place over the weekend. Once this swap is completed, 58 hostages will remain in Gaza, according to some officials.

Bodies and remains of deceased hostages

In addition to the living hostages, Hamas has agreed to return the bodies of eight deceased captives in two separate transfers this week and next. Among them are the remains of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Kfir and Ariel. The Bibas family has become a national symbol in Israel with their photos being used by the protestors all around Israel, demanding the return of remaining hostages and representing the suffering of the hostages taken on October 7, 2023.

Hamas claims that Shiri Bibas and her children were killed in an Israeli airstrike early in the war, but Israeli authorities have not confirmed this. Many supporters, including family members, remain skeptical.

“I ask that no one eulogize my family just yet. We have held onto hope for 16 months, and we are not giving up now,” wrote Ofri Bibas, the children’s aunt, on Facebook following Hamas’s announcement.

Israeli authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the remains of four hostages would be returned on Thursday. However, officials have not publicly identified them. The National Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv has mobilized ten doctors to expedite the identification process.

Far-right Israeli politician condemns ceasefire

Despite growing international and domestic calls for a long-term truce, Israel’s far-right politician and former National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has fiercely opposed the ceasefire. He has criticized the agreement as a “reckless surrender deal” and continues to pressure the government to return to full-scale military operations.

Following heated debates in the Knesset over the hostage-prisoner exchange, Ben-Gvir took to social media to voice his discontent. “Thousands of murderous terrorists are being released from prison,” he wrote in a post on X, referring to the Palestinian detainees freed under the deal. He also accused Hamas of using the truce to rebuild its military capabilities while Israeli forces have pulled back from parts of Gaza.

Ben-Gvir also suggested that Israel still has the full backing of the United States to resume military operations against Hamas. “All this, while the government has complete American backing to rain down hell on Hamas if all our hostages are not released immediately,” he said.

Ben-Gvir, who resigned from the government in protest of the ceasefire deal, has indicated that he would return if the war resumes. He has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other cabinet ministers to “come to their senses and return to a war of total annihilation of Hamas immediately.”

As negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement are set to begin this week, the future of the truce remains uncertain. With Hamas offering to release all remaining hostages in one batch and Israel weighing its next steps, mediators will play a critical role in shaping the path forward.

However, with voices like Ben-Gvir calling for an all-out war and many Israeli families advocating for the continuation of the ceasefire to secure the safe return of captives, the Israeli government faces intense political and public pressure.