The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas initiated the handover of six Israeli prisoners on Saturday, February 22, as part of the seventh round of exchanges under the recent ceasefire agreement with the Israeli occupation regime.  

The Gaza-based movement began the process by releasing two prisoners, Tal Shoham and Avra Mengistu, who were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah. The exchange took place under a banner reading, “We are the flood, we are the unstoppable force,” displayed by Hamas at the site.  

The exchanges were organized by Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, at two locations: Rafah and the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Hamas confirmed the release of six Israeli prisoners—Elia Maimon, Yitzhak Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Finkert, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, and Hisham al-Sayed—in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli authorities announced the names of Palestinian prisoners to be released in this latest round.  

The Hamas media office stated that 50 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, 60 others with long-term sentences, and 47 detainees rearrested by Israel would be freed. It also emphasized that 445 prisoners from Gaza, arrested after October 7, 2023, would be released.