Israel agreed to release as many as 1,904 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including individuals serving multiple life sentences for deadly acts of terror, in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza. This arrangement marked the beginning of the 42-day initial phase of a deal with Hamas, finalized during an early-morning government meeting on Saturday.
The decision followed an eight-hour cabinet session, during which the plan to exchange hostages for prisoners was approved.
The list of Palestinians set to be freed includes 737 individuals incarcerated for security offenses, among them those serving life sentences for murder.
The individuals to be released are associated with groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Fatah. The list also includes women and minors held in Israeli facilities. Notably, some had previously been freed in a 2011 exchange deal for Gilad Shalit and later re-arrested.
The Justice Ministry published the names of 735 prisoners, allowing petitions to be filed in the High Court to challenge their release.
Additionally, 1,167 Palestinians detained during the IDF’s ground offensive in Gaza—who were not involved in the October 7 Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel—will also be freed.
The exact number of prisoners to be released may change, depending on the status of the 33 Israeli hostages. Hamas has yet to confirm whether all hostages are alive, though Israeli officials believe most are.
The first three female hostages, categorized as humanitarian cases—including women, children, the elderly, and the infirm—are expected to be released on Sunday.
The remaining 30 hostages will be freed gradually over the following weeks, with four scheduled for release on January 25 and three more each Saturday. The final group of 14 hostages will conclude the first phase of the agreement.
The deal stipulates a proportional release of prisoners based on the hostages’ categories. For every living woman, child, or elderly hostage, 30 prisoners will be freed. For the nine sick hostages, 110 prisoners will be released. Female IDF soldiers will be exchanged for 50 prisoners each. Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, held in Gaza for a decade, will each be exchanged for 30 prisoners, along with 47 individuals re-arrested after the 2011 Shalit deal. Additionally, the bodies of hostages will be exchanged for over 1,000 Gazan detainees.
Beyond the 33 hostages, 65 others are held by Hamas. Many of them are presumed dead and could be part of a second phase of negotiations, which may also include discussions on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The Justice Ministry announced that prisoner releases would not occur before 4 p.m. on Sunday, approximately seven and a half hours after the ceasefire begins. This timing aligns with the expected return of the first hostages to Israel.
To prevent public celebrations, the Israel Prison Service implemented measures to discourage any displays of joy during the release of prisoners.
Among those scheduled for release is Zakaria Zubeidi, a former commander of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, who was arrested in 2019 for attacks near Beit El and has been implicated in numerous terror acts. Zubeidi previously escaped from Gilboa Prison in 2021 but was recaptured days later.
Another individual on the release list is Iyad Jradat, who facilitated the 2003 Gadish terror attack that claimed the life of Eli Biton. Ahmed Dahiri, convicted of murder, and Mahmoud Atallah, serving a life sentence for killing a suspected collaborator and recently indicted for raping a female prison guard, are also slated for release.
The list includes Mahmud Abu Varda, responsible for 48 life sentences tied to organizing multiple bombings, including a 1996 attack in Jerusalem that killed 45 people. Three members of the Hamas-linked Silwan Squadron, responsible for deadly bombings in 2002, are also to be released, excluding Alaa Abbasi, who is serving 60 life sentences.
Notably, Marwan Barghouti, a high-profile Fatah leader convicted of orchestrating attacks during the Second Intifada, is not on the release list. His aide, Ahmed Barghouti, however, is set to be freed.
Hamas-affiliated journalist Bushra Tawil, held in administrative detention since March 2023, will also be released. Khalida Jarrar, a Palestinian Authority lawmaker tied to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, is among the terrorists to be freed. Jarrar had been detained in connection with the 2019 bombing that killed Rina Shnerb.
{Matzav.com Israel}