The International Committee of the Red Cross announced it has received the second batch of Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, numbering 13, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Earlier today, the committee announced it had received the first batch of seven Israeli detainees in Gaza and handed them over to the Israeli authorities.

The Hamas movement stated in a statement that it handed over 20 living Israeli detainees to the Red Cross in Gaza, confirming its commitment to the agreement and its timelines, provided the occupation complies as well.

According to the first phase of the agreement, all 20 living Israeli detainees in Gaza will be released, along with the gradual handover of 28 bodies, depending on progress in retrieving them from under the rubble in Gaza. In return, the occupation authorities will release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,718 detainees from Gaza arrested after the war began on October 7, 2023.

US President Donald Trump announced on the 9th of this month that an agreement had been reached to implement the first phase of his plan to end the war in Gaza.

Last Friday, the ceasefire came into effect at 12 noon, starting the 72-hour window set by the agreement to complete the prisoner exchange process.

The number of detainees in Israeli prisons exceeds 11,000, suffering catastrophic conditions including torture, starvation, and systematic medical neglect, leading to deaths in captivity according to Palestinian prisoner organizations.