This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke plumes rising from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on Jan. 18, 2025, a day before a ceasefire is set to take effect following the Israeli cabinet's approval of a deal between Israel and Hamas. (Credit: John Wessels/AFP)
Mediator Egypt said Saturday that Israel is to release more than 1,890 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages in the first phase of a Gaza truce.
The foreign ministry said the prisoners would be freed during the first, 42-day phase of the cease-fire which is set to begin at 6:30 a.m. GMT on Sunday.
Qatar, which mediated the deal along with Egypt and the United States, had announced that 33 hostages would be released by militants in Gaza during the first phase.
Israel's justice ministry had earlier said 737 Palestinian prisoners and detainees would be freed – none before 4:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. GMT) on Sunday.
Of the 251 people taken hostage during Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Sunday's cease-fire will be only the second truce in 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, which has claimed more than 50,000 lives and devastated the Palestinian territory.
The truce is to take effect on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration for a second term as U.S. president.
In its statement, Egypt's foreign ministry thanked fellow mediator Qatar and "appreciated the pivotal role played by the new U.S. administration led by President Trump to end the crisis, as well as President [Joe] Biden."
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