Israel releases Palestinian prisoners in hostage exchange

Israel released 44 Palestinian minors and two women on Thursday as part of a hostage-prisoner swap linked to the ongoing Gaza ceasefire. This follows the identification of four deceased hostages, whose bodies were returned by Hamas. In exchange for the four bodies, 596 Palestinians were released overnight. The ceasefire deal, agreed in January, aims to secure the release of all hostages and facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, Israeli officials stated that the military will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor as previously planned. This decision comes amid pressure from far-right coalition partners to continue military actions against Hamas.