What will it take to free the hostages in Gaza? Many Israelis support a prisoner swap

Nov 7, 2023 ·

In November 2023, a prisoner exchange took place between Israel and Hamas. The agreement was reached after months of negotiations and came as part of a larger effort to bring peace to the region. Under the terms of the deal, Israel released dozens of Palestinian prisoners from its jails in exchange for two Israeli civilians and the remains of two fallen IDF soldiers.

The Israeli government has long maintained that it will not negotiate with Hamas, a militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. However, the negotiations that led to this deal were facilitated by Egypt and other international actors. It is reported that the talks were focused on a broader ceasefire in the region rather than a direct swap of prisoners.

As part of the exchange, Israel released an estimated 50 Palestinians who had been held in its prisons. Among them were prominent figures such as top Hamas commanders and leaders of Islamic Jihad. Many of the prisoners were serving lengthy sentences for terrorism-related charges. Additionally, Israel agreed to ease restrictions on Gaza and allow certain goods to enter the strip.

For their part, Hamas released two Israeli citizens, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who had been kept in captivity since 2014 and 2017 respectively. Hamas also returned the remains of two IDF soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, who were killed during the 2014 conflict in Gaza.

The exchange marked a major milestone in the ongoing efforts to broker peace in the Middle East. It was welcomed by many as a sign of progress, though some have criticized the deal for allowing militant groups like Hamas to benefit at the expense of Israeli security. Nevertheless, both sides remain committed to continuing negotiations in the hopes of achieving a lasting peace.