Hamas Begins Hostage-Prisoner Exchange Under Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan — BBC Reports

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Gaza City, BBC/Pathik TV Desk —
Hamas has begun releasing Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, marking the first phase of former US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for Gaza, according to a BBC report.

The ceasefire agreement, which took effect last Friday, has also allowed an increased flow of humanitarian aid into the war-torn territory. Negotiations are expected to follow once the first phase of exchanges is complete, to determine the details of the subsequent phases of the plan.

Hostage Releases

Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, Hamas is set to release all 48 remaining Israeli and foreign hostages, only 20 of whom are confirmed to be alive. Most of the hostages were among the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed.

In response, Israel launched a devastating military campaign in Gaza that has since killed more than 67,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

On Monday morning, Hamas handed over two groups of living hostages — totaling 20 people — to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The first group included Eitan Mor, Gali Berman, Ziv Berman, Omri Miran, Alon Ohel, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, and Matan Angrest.
The second group comprised Bar Kupershtein, Evyatar David, Yosef-Chaim Ohana, Segev Kalfon, Avinatan Or, Elkana Bohbot, Maxim Herkin, Nimrod Cohen, Matan Zangauker, David Cunio, Eitan Horn, Rom Braslabski, and Ariel Cunio.

A copy of the ceasefire agreement published by Israeli media indicated that Hamas would also return the remains of all deceased hostages by 12:00 local time on Monday, though it acknowledged that some bodies may not yet be located.

An Israeli official said an international task force would begin working to locate any missing remains.

Palestinian Prisoner Releases

In exchange, Israel has agreed to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,718 detainees from Gaza, including 15 minors.

The Hamas-run Prisoners Media Office published the updated list of names on Monday. However, high-profile prisoners such as Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat — both serving multiple life sentences — were not included, despite Hamas’s earlier demands.

Israeli media reported that around 100 of the 250 prisoners would be released to the occupied West Bank, 15 to East Jerusalem, and 135 deported to Gaza or other countries.

Ceasefire and Monitoring

The ceasefire, which began at 12:00 local time on Friday, has already resulted in larger aid deliveries to Gaza.

According to Israeli officials, troops have withdrawn to positions that still leave Israel in control of about 53% of Gaza, as detailed in the agreement. A map shared by the White House last week shows that this is the first of three stages of withdrawal, with future stages reducing Israeli control to about 40%, then 15%.

A multinational monitoring force of around 200 troops, led by the United States and including personnel from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE, will oversee the ceasefire. A senior US official emphasized that no American troops will be stationed on the ground in Gaza.

Future Phases of Trump’s Plan

If the initial exchange is successful, negotiations will proceed on the later stages of Trump’s 20-point peace plan. The plan outlines that, once both parties agree, the war would “immediately end.”

It calls for Gaza to be demilitarized, with all “military, terror, and offensive infrastructure” dismantled. Governance would initially be handed to a transitional committee of Palestinian technocrats, supervised by a ‘Board of Peace’ chaired by Donald Trump and joined by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Eventually, authority would transfer to the Palestinian Authority after internal reforms. Under the plan, Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza but its members could receive amnesty or safe passage abroad if they pledged peaceful coexistence.

No Palestinians would be forced to leave Gaza, and those who choose to leave voluntarily would retain the right to return.

The plan also proposes a “Trump Economic Development Initiative” aimed at rebuilding and revitalizing Gaza’s economy.

Key Challenges Ahead

Analysts warn of several contentious points that could complicate the next phases. Hamas has consistently refused to disarm unless a sovereign Palestinian state is established, and its initial response to the plan made no mention of laying down arms.

Although Israel has agreed to the plan in full, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly opposed the idea of the Palestinian Authority taking control of post-war Gaza.

Hamas, on the other hand, insists it expects a role in governing Gaza as part of a “unified Palestinian movement.”

Another major sticking point is the timeline of Israeli troop withdrawal. The final phase envisions Israel maintaining a security perimeter around Gaza “until it is secure from any resurgent terror threat” — a phrase critics say is vague and open-ended.

As the first phase unfolds, the world watches closely to see whether this fragile exchange can pave the way for lasting peace in one of the most conflict-ridden regions on Earth.