Israel issues list in ceasefire deal of 735 Palestinian prisoners to be released

Jerusalem: The Israeli Ministry of Justice on Saturday released the list of 735 Palestinian prisoners set to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.

This initial phase, set to commence on Sunday 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.

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.

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.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the meeting that he was assured by US President-elect Donald Trump that Israel would receive a halted arms supply once he takes office, reported Channel 12 News.

“This is important because if we do not reach the second phase of the deal, we will have additional tools to return to fighting,” Netanyahu said. “Trump is giving Israel full backing to return to war in case of a violation of the agreement.”

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.

IANS