Israel, Hamas agree to exchange bodies of four dead hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners

Israeli and Hamas officials on Tuesday announced that they have agreed to exchange the bodies of four deceased hostages for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, reported AP.

Israel has delayed the release of 600 Palestinian prisoners since Saturday citing the harsh treatment of hostages by Hamas during their release.

Hamas called the delay a “serious violation” of the ongoing ceasefire and said that talks for a second phase could not proceed until the prisoners are freed.

The deadlock threatened the collapse of the fragile ceasefire, with the first six-week phase of the deal set to expire this weekend.

On Tuesday, Hamas announced that the dispute had been resolved after a delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, a senior political official in the group, visited Cairo in Egypt for talks.

According to a Hamas statement, the prisoners previously scheduled for release “will be released simultaneously with the bodies of the Israeli prisoners who were agreed to be handed over”, along with a separate group of Palestinian prisoners.

The latest agreement would fulfill both sides’ commitments for the first phase of the ceasefire, with Hamas returning 25 hostages and eight bodies in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement could also pave the way for a visit by United States Special Envoy to the Middle East...

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