Israel Hamas ceasefire: 735 Palestinian prisoners to be released in 1st phase

In return, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages currently held in Gaza.

Jerusalem: Israel is set to release 735 Palestinian prisoners in the first phase of the Isreal Hamas ceasefire deal, the Israeli Ministry of Justice announced on Saturday, January 18

This initial phase, set to commence on Sunday, January 19 and span 42 days, will see Israel gradually release the prisoners as well as 1,167 residents detained from Gaza. In return, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages currently held in Gaza.

Hundreds of Palestinian detainees are to be released as well, and the largely devastated Gaza should see a surge in humanitarian aid. Israeli forces will also pull back from many areas in Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will be able to return to what’s left of their homes.

Hyderabad Institute of Excellence

Israel said that many of the prisoners on the list were convicted of murder, such as Ahmed Barghouti, who was serving 13 life terms for the murder of 12 Israelis, and Majdi Zaatari, sentenced to 23 life terms plus 50 years for facilitating a 2003 suicide bombing in Jerusalem that killed 23 people.

Also slated for release is senior Hamas member Salim Hajja, who was serving 16 life terms for his involvement in a suicide bus attack in Haifa in 2001, in which 15 people were killed, and Mohammed Naifa, a senior militant in the Tanzim militant faction, who was convicted of murdering 13 Israelis and sentenced to 13 life terms.

The list also includes Zakaria Zubeidi, commander of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Jenin, West Bank, Xinhua news agency reported. Israeli citizens, particularly victims’ families, are allowed to petition the High Court of Justice to challenge the release of specific prisoners.

MS Creative School

Earlier in the day, the Israeli government approved a ceasefire agreement aimed at the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, following a lengthy cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office said. At the meeting, 24 ministers voted in favour and eight against.

Three Israeli women held in Gaza and 95 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released on Sunday as part of the deal’s first phase.

The full cabinet meeting was held after Israel’s restricted security cabinet voted in favour of the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostage agreement on Friday.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right ministers, opposed the agreement and demanded a government commitment to resume fighting in Gaza once the first phase of the deal, in which Hamas would release 33 Israeli hostages, is completed.

Disputes have been resolved, Hamas said on Friday, a day after the group affirmed its commitment to the full terms of the accord in a statement.

On 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel killing 1,200 people and 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.

Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.

Fighting continued into Friday, and Gaza’s Health Ministry said 88 bodies had arrived at hospitals in the past 24 hours. In previous conflicts, both sides stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project strength.

(With IANS inputs)

Back to top button