UPDATE - Hamas hands over 2 Israeli captives to Red Cross in Rafah

UPDATES WITH ISRAELI ARMY CONFIRMATION, MORE DETAILS

By Ikram Kouachi

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, handed over on Saturday two Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah, southern Gaza, as part of the seventh exchange under the Jan. 19 ceasefire deal.

The two Israeli captives freed were Tal Shoham, an operative in the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, and Avera Mengistu, who was captured in 2014 under mysterious circumstances when he entered Gaza.

Representatives of the Red cross signed an official transfer protocol with the Al-Qassam Brigades, ensuring the safe delivery of the captives.

After completing the process, the Red Cross team left the site with the Israeli captives.

The Israeli army in a statement confirmed receiving the captives, saying they were on their way to Tel Aviv where they will undergo an initial medical evaluation.

In total, six Israeli hostages are being released on Saturday, in exchange for 602 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Four others will be set free in Nuseirat, central Gaza.

The ceasefire deal took effect last month, pausing Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,000 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.