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Hamas prepares to hand over hostages at Deir al-Balah in central Gaza — media

According to the channel, many people gathered around Palestinian radicals in the town square

TUNIS, February 8. /TASS/. Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, is preparing to release the fifth group of hostages as part of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip reached with Israel, Al Jazeera reported.

The handover of the three Israelis, including one who also holds German citizenship, will take place in the town of Deir al-Balah, in the central part of the enclave.

According to the channel, many people gathered around Palestinian radicals in the town square.

For its part, the Prisoners' Information Office stated that Israeli forces were searching the homes of families of prisoners who are set to be released today as part of the deal.

Hamas announced on Friday that it would release three Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip on February 8.

A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect on January 19. On the same day, Palestinian factions released the first group of hostages, which included three Israeli women. In response, Israel released 90 Palestinians from prisons.

On the morning of January 25, four hostages were released in the Gaza Strip, all of whom were doing their compulsory service in the Israeli army. In turn, Israel released 200 Palestinians from prisons: 114 of them arrived in the West Bank, 16 returned to Gaza, and the remaining 70 were deported to Egypt.

On January 30, eight hostages were released in an additional exchange round, including three Israelis and five Thai nationals. In return, Israel released 110 Palestinians from its detention facilities. On February 1, three hostages returned from Gaza, one of them being an Israeli citizen, while two others held French and US citizenships. A total of 183 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons, eight of whom were taken to Egypt.

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