The Justice Ministry published the list of terrorists who will be released as part of the expected deal with Hamas early on Wednesday morning. Prisoners to be released come from groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Some of the prisoners have a blue ID card, meaning that they live in east Jerusalem (as opposed to Gaza or the West Bank, whose residents have green ones), but they are not Israeli citizens. Most of the prisoners to be released are residents of east Jerusalem.
Those to be released were tried in military and civilian courts alike, according to Israeli media.
Only 150 of the expected 300 prisoners are expected to be released in the first step of the deal, according to Israeli media, adding that more prisoners from the published list will be released upon the further release of hostages.
The majority of prisoners to be released, though not all, are under the age of 18 or are women, according to a 15-page list published by the Justice Ministry.
Who are some of the prisoners expected to be released?
Some of the prisoners to be released include an 18-year-old male prisoner, Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed Marzouk, who was arrested in July 2023 for counts of assaulting police, arson, possession of weapons, and other charges.
Another is 37-year-old Amani Khaled Naaman Heshim, who was arrested in December 2016. She was charged with causing serious bodily harm, and both carrying and manufacturing knives and daggers, according to the list.
An additional prisoner to be released is 26-year-old female prisoner Walela Khaled Fozi Tangi, who was arrested in August 2022 for attempted murder, and possession of weapons and explosives, among other charges.
The Knesset approved the outline of the deal for the release of the abductees by a large majority at the end of a five-and-a-half-hour cabinet meeting late on Tuesday night.
The details of the deal show that an Israeli hostage will be released in exchange for every three Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. In the first phase of the deal, about 50 women and children will be released, in exchange for a four-day lull in the fighting in Gaza and the release of the 150 Palestinian prisoners.
The captives will be released in batches, starting Thursday.
Almost all government ministers voted in favor of the deal, with only three Otzma Yehudit ministers voting against it. The religious Zionist Party ministers who announced before the debate that they would oppose the proposal decided to vote in favor after hearing and learning its details, Israeli media reported.
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