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Israel revises list of Palestinian prisoners slated for release: Report
Israel’s Haaretz is reporting that Israeli ministers have approved several changes to the list of Palestinian prisoners who are set to be released as part of the ceasefire deal.
The changes include the removal of a Palestinian who had been previously released and the addition of two others “who are not serving life sentences and are affiliated with Hamas”, the news outlet reported.
It said that seven minors were taken off the list and two women were added.
Overall, 1,718 Palestinian prisoners will be released instead of the previously agreed-upon 1,722, Haaretz added.
The report came as Israeli authorities warned Palestinians in the occupied West Bank against celebrating the release of their loved ones. Hamas has meanwhile demanded the release of prominent Palestinian Marwan Barghouti, but it’s unclear if Israel will free him.
What we know about the Palestinian detainees, prisoners set for release
As we’ve been reporting, under the ceasefire deal, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released in exchange for the remaining Israeli captives held in Gaza.
Here’s what we know about them:
- The figure includes some 1,700 Palestinian detainees taken from Gaza, who the UN considers forcibly disappeared.
- Another 250 of them are Palestinians who have been serving life and long sentences, mostly for attacks or alleged involvement in violence against Israelis.
- Of the latter, 135 will be deported to Gaza or exiled abroad, and 100 are expected to be sent to the occupied West Bank. Some 15 are set to be released in East Jerusalem.
- Ahead of the exchange, prisoners have been transported to Ofer Prison near Ramallah and Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert.
‘Fluid situation’ as Israel makes changes to list of Palestinian prisoners
There are some interesting reports coming out of the Israeli media about last-minute changes following demands by Hamas for an adjustment of the list of prisoners that they want to see released.
According to these reports, Hamas told Israel that two of the names on the list were ineligible because they are not Hamas members, and because one has already been released.
We understand that there have also been minor changes to the list of people from Gaza, who have been detained since October 7, 2023, including the removal of seven minors from the list, while adding two women and replacing some of that group with others from the same category.
It is all very complicated and very fluid.
Palestinian media are also reporting that Hamas is pushing for the inclusion of a man called Dr Hussam Abu Safia, a paediatrician from northern Gaza and the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, which came under repeated siege over the course of the war.
Dr Abu Safia was right at the forefront of publicising that siege, posting on social media, Instagram in particular, and showing what he had described as the atrocities that the Israeli forces were committing against medical facilities.
His son was killed in an Israeli attack in October of last year, and he was arrested a couple of months later. He is popular among Palestinians, and it remains to be seen whether he will be released.
Palestinians gathered at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Sunday to call for Israel to free doctors and other health workers
Hamas publishes list of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel
Hamas has published the names of more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it said would be released in the ceasefire deal with Israel. The Red Cross is expected to oversee the releases.
Several vehicles are already waiting at Israel’s Ofer Prison to transport the Palestinian prisoners back to either Gaza or the occupied West Bank.
Hamas says that Marwan Barghouti is off the list of prisoners to be released.
