GAZA, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has begun on Saturday preparations to release three Israeli hostages from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, sources confirmed to Xinhua on Saturday.

This release marks the fifth exchange under the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement between Hamas and Israel.

The deal, brokered by Egypt and Qatar with support from the United States, aims to de-escalate the conflict.

Hundreds of armed members of the Al-Qassam Brigades were seen in the streets of Deir al-Balah, wearing uniforms and carrying rifles, alongside vehicles mounted with machine guns. A platform had also been built for handovers. Palestinian observers noted that the handover process appeared organized.

Pictures of Hamas leaders killed in Israeli attacks were displayed around the platform. At its base, an image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was placed, along with pictures of destroyed Israeli military vehicles.

On Friday, Al-Qassam Brigades announced the release of three Israeli prisoners, while Israel was set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange agreement, under which Israeli hostages will be released from the central Gaza Strip for the first time. Enditem

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