The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, implemented the first phase of the prisoner exchange deal by releasing 20 Israeli prisoners on Monday in two batches, handing them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation authorities released 96 Palestinian prisoners from Ofer prison west of Ramallah, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire implementation, which includes a simultaneous exchange of prisoners supervised by the Red Cross.

The released prisoners included 24 from Jerusalem governorate, among them the oldest Jerusalemite prisoner Samir Abu Na’mah, detained since 1986. Fifteen of these prisoners will be forcibly deported to Egypt, while nine will return to their homes in Jerusalem.

The occupation forces fired live bullets and tear gas at Palestinians celebrating near Ofer prison, causing several injuries due to tear gas inhalation.

The Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange includes the release of 1,718 prisoners arrested from Gaza during the war on the Strip, including two female prisoners and three Jordanian prisoners, bringing the total number of released prisoners to 1,966.

The occupation informed families of Jerusalemite prisoners about harsh restrictions aimed at limiting celebrations, including bans on organizing events, gatherings outside homes, and raising flags or banners.

Intelligence vehicles will escort each released prisoner to their home to control their movements and those of their families.

With this deal, the number of prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment in Israeli jails dropped from 608 to 121, reflecting the scale of releases in the three exchange deals during the Al-Aqsa Flood battle.

More than 3,985 Palestinian prisoners from various factions were freed, including 486 sentenced to life, 319 with long sentences, 33 expected to receive life or long sentences, 144 female prisoners, and 297 children.

The releases also included 2,724 prisoners from Gaza arrested after October 7, marking a significant shift in the Palestinian prisoners’ file and a major reduction in those with heavy sentences in Israeli prisons.