By Staff, Agencies

At midnight on Monday, rows of buses gathered outside the International Committee of the Red Cross offices in Deir al-Balah as Gaza prepared for a large-scale captive exchange — the first tangible phase of the ceasefire deal seen as a fragile step toward relief after nearly two years of relentless “Israeli” aggression.

Palestinian sources confirmed that the exchange lists had been finalized and that the first transfers were scheduled to begin at 08:00 local time. According to the Palestinian Quds Network, “Israeli” captives are set to be released in two batches at 08:00 and 10:00, while Palestinian prisoners will be freed at 10:00.

Under the agreement, the Resistance movement Hamas will release 20 living “Israeli” captives along with the bodies of 28 others, while the “Israeli” entity will free approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees. The exchange includes nearly 250 individuals serving long-term sentences and around 1,700 people detained during the entity’s most recent onslaught on Gaza, according to families and officials familiar with the process.

Teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross have been processing the names and preparing vehicles to transfer the released captives from Gaza to a designated military reception point south of the occupied territories.

Meanwhile, Hamas security forces have deployed across the Strip to ensure order and to prevent interference from armed gangs and collaborators accused of exploiting the wartime chaos.

The exchange coincides with US President Donald Trump’s regional visit for a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, convened to discuss the next stages of the ceasefire implementation. Trump, who declared the war “over” before departing Washington, is expected to arrive in “Israel” shortly after the first releases.

Mediators have indicated that the ceasefire deal encompasses phased “Israeli” military withdrawals, multinational security coordination and a transitional framework for Gaza’s governance — measures intended to prevent a return to the genocidal campaign.

However, widespread skepticism persists among Palestinians, many of whom doubt that the new arrangements will secure genuine sovereignty, justice or long-term protection for their national rights.