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The first phase of the cease-fire deal calls for the release of 33 hostages, including women, children, men over 50 and sick and wounded people.
The cease-fire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas this week sets in motion the release of dozens of hostages that Hamas and its allies have been holding in Gaza since the start of the war more than a year ago.
About 100 hostages, living and dead, are thought to be held captive in Gaza. Most of them were seized when Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in an attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw about 250 taken hostage.
According to the deal, 33 of those remaining hostages will be released during an initial six-week phase of the cease-fire, the first major release since a weeklong truce in November 2023. In exchange, Israel will release more than 1,000 imprisoned Palestinians.
The first hostage-for-prisoner swap will begin no earlier than 4 p.m. on Sunday, according to the deal. Here is what else we know about how the plan foresees their release.
Who are the hostages being released?
The 33 hostages who will be released in the first phase include female soldiers and civilians, children, men over 50 and sick and wounded “humanitarian” cases.
The hostages who fit that profile include young female soldiers abducted from a military base; older men dragged from border villages near the Gaza Strip; and two young children, one of whom was less than a year old during the Hamas-led attack.
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