Tel Aviv set to release 1,977 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages
Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages gather in favour of the Gaza truce in front of the Israeli defence ministry in Tel Aviv on January 16, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Israel is set to release 1,977 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages as part of a cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement with Hamas, local sources reported Friday.
The deal, mediated by Qatar, aims to de-escalate the ongoing conflict in Gaza and facilitate humanitarian aid to the region.
Details of prisoner exchange
According to Israeli media outlet Ynet, the first phase of the agreement involves releasing 290 Palestinians sentenced to life imprisonment. The swap also includes 1,000 Palestinians detained after Oct. 8, 2023, and 47 prisoners rearrested following their release under a 2011 deal.
The process will occur over 42 days, divided into seven stages. Each stage will see the release of three to four Israeli hostages and corresponding groups of Palestinian prisoners.
The initial exchange is scheduled to begin Sunday, pending approval by Israel’s High Court of Justice.
Israeli hostages to be freed
Hamas has agreed to free women and elderly individuals first. Among the hostages to be released in the early phases are women captured at kibbutzim and during the Nova Music Festival, as well as five female Israeli army soldiers taken from the Nahal Oz base.
By the deal’s conclusion, all 33 Israeli hostages will have been freed, including Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, held in Gaza for nearly a decade.
Conditions for humanitarian aid
The agreement also addresses humanitarian needs in Gaza, ensuring unhindered delivery of aid and facilitating the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes.
Further details about the agreement’s second and third phases will follow the completion of the initial phase.
Palestinian prisoner statistics
The Palestinian Prisoners and Released Affairs Commission reports that Israel currently holds 10,400 Palestinian detainees, including 600 serving life sentences. The pending release represents a significant portion of these prisoners.
Cease-fire implementation
Qatari officials announced the agreement on Jan. 15, with the cease-fire set to take effect Sunday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Cabinet has approved the terms, with the first list of prisoners expected to be finalized by Saturday evening.
On the other hand, Netanyahu said that he received assurances from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and U.S. President Joe Biden at the security cabinet meeting.
Addressing the security cabinet, Netanyahu emphasized that he had received assurances from the U.S. that attacks on Gaza would continue if negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement failed, Yediot Ahronot newspaper reported.
“We have received firm assurances from both presidents—Biden and Trump—that if negotiations on the second phase of the agreement fail and Hamas does not accept our security demands, we will return to intense fighting with U.S. support,” Netanyahu said.
