Israel to Free Over 2,000 Prisoners, Excluding Barghouti

The Israeli government is set to ratify the first phase of an agreement that will see the release of over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 security prisoners. The agreement is being discussed by the Security Cabinet this evening (Thursday) and is expected to be approved by the full Government immediately afterward.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel will receive the 20 living Israeli prisoners (hostages) in a single phase, expected to occur on Sunday or Monday, with the bodies of the deceased Israeli prisoners (hostages) to be returned in several subsequent phases. Furthermore, a senior security source confirmed to N12 that highly contentious figures, including master terrorist Marwan Barghouti, will not be among those released.

Israel’s Commitments and "Red Lines"

The agreement outlines several key commitments from Israel:

Crucially, Israel has imposed stringent red lines regarding the fate of the most dangerous prisoners:

The agreement specifies that no "release ceremonies" will be permitted by Hamas, a practice the terror group used to exploit politically in the past.

Ceasefire and Humanitarian Aid

The deal stipulates a complete ceasefire and an Israeli commitment to begin withdrawing from the Gaza Strip once the Israeli prisoners (hostages) are released. Israel will retain control of 53% of the Gaza Strip until the very last Israeli prisoner (hostage) is returned.

Additionally, Arab media reported key humanitarian elements:

The security establishment emphasized that the agreement to release convicted murderers only to Gaza or abroad, a demand insisted upon by Minister Ben Gvir, ensures they are prevented from returning to the Judea and Samaria region, a key Israeli security concern.