Gaza, Feb 27 : Israeli authorities on Thursday began releasing more than 600 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, according to Palestinian sources.

Palestinian sources told Xinhua news agency that buses carrying the prisoners departed from Ofer Prison in the central West Bank, heading toward a reception centre in the Beitunia area.

The Hamas-linked Prisoners' Information Office said that the seventh and eighth batches of prisoner releases were merged, bringing the total number to 642, Xinhua news agency reported.

This release is part of the first phase of the deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar, with support from the United States. Hamas described this release as the largest so far under the ceasefire arrangement.

"We are witnessing one of the achievements of the Palestinian people with the release of the seventh and eighth batches of prisoners, which is the largest so far within the ceasefire agreement arrangements," Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in a press statement.

He added that Hamas prioritises the release of Palestinian prisoners in any exchange deal. He also noted that the group had responded to mediators' requests regarding new mechanisms for exchanging bodies, ensuring Israel's commitment to the process.

On Tuesday, Hamas announced it had resolved a dispute over the delayed release of Palestinian prisoners, which was originally scheduled for last Saturday. The resolution followed talks between a Hamas delegation and Egyptian officials in Cairo.

The delay occurred after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded assurances from mediators that there would be no repeat of what he described as "provocative military parades" organised by Hamas during previous handover operations, which he considered "insulting to the rights of Israeli hostages".

Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza to the Red Cross early Thursday as part of an exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners amid an ongoing ceasefire agreement, Israel's state-owned Kan broadcaster reported, citing an Israeli official.

The four are Shlomo Mantzur, 86, the eldest hostage, Tsahi Idan, 50, Ohad Yahalomi, 50, and Itzik Elgarat, 69. They were kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Red Cross is now heading to the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip to deliver the bodies to Israeli forces, according to Kan.

Israeli officials told Xinhua on Thursday that about half of the Palestinian prisoners would be released ten minutes after the Red Cross handed over the bodies to the Israeli military at the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the others would be freed after the identification process of the bodies was complete.

According to a statement from Hamas's Media Office, 620 prisoners will be released from Israeli prisons, including 151 who were sentenced to life imprisonment. It is the largest group of Palestinians released in the first phase of the agreement. Among them, 445 are Gazans who were arrested after the war began, and 11 are Gazans who were detained before the war. In addition, 24 women and minors from Gaza will be released. A total of 43 prisoners will be released to the Israeli-controlled West Bank and East Jerusalem, while 97 will be deported abroad.

/IANS