TEHRAN- The fourth exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners in less than two weeks has highlighted a deep sense of solidarity among Palestinians in the face of the Zionist regime’s atrocities in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. 

Hamas released three captives on Saturday. Ofer Kalderon and Yarden Bibas were delivered to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The third captive, Keith Siegel, was transferred to Red Cross teams in Gaza City in the northern area of the Palestinian territory. 

The resistance movement once again displayed its military strength as hundreds of its fighters lined up during the two separate handovers to organize the release of the captives and manage the crowd.  

Later on Saturday, 183 Palestinians walked free from Israeli jails in return for the release of the three captives. More than 70 of the inmates had been serving long-time prison terms and lifetime sentences. 
Dozens of the prisoners who arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah were greeted by jubilant relatives. 

Israel was laboring under the delusion that it had dealt severe blows to Hamas in the course of the Gaza war that began on October 7, 2023. 

However, the large presence of Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip following the implementation of a ceasefire with Israel has shattered the regime’s dreams of eliminating the resistance movement through military action. 

The ceasefire went into effect on January 19. The truce agreement was aimed at ending Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza which lasted more than 15 months. 

The three-phased ceasefire is expected to lead to the release of all captives and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. 

Since the ceasefire took effect, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have reaffirmed their backing for resistance movements such as Hamas.

Israel has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza and nearly 900 others in the West Bank since October 2023. 

But Palestinians have remained steadfast in their support for resistance. 

Israel has devastated much of Gaza. Nonetheless, the Palestinian resistance has risen from the rubble of destroyed buildings. The remarkable resilience of Palestinians indicates that Israel’s hopes and dreams of defeating Hamas and forcibly displacing Gazans have turned to ashes.