Gaza, MINA – Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences and long-term sentences, in exchange for four Israeli female soldiers, who will be freed this week, a Hamas official said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reported.
The statement was made by Nader Fakhouri, the media official in charge of Hamas’ Martyrs, Wounded and Prisoners Office, and released by the group’s affiliated Prisoners Media Office.
Fakhouri explained that “the second part of the first phase of the Palestinian resistance factions’ agreement with the Israeli occupation will begin on Saturday, January 25.”
“On Saturday, the resistance will announce the names of the Israeli prisoners who will be released, and in return, the occupation (Israel) will provide a list of Palestinian prisoners who will be released,” he added.
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According to Fakhouri, “based on these two lists, the actual implementation will take place on Sunday, January 26, with the release of Palestinian prisoners and the handover of Israeli prisoners.”
The agreement stipulates that each female Israeli soldier is equivalent to 30 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 20 prisoners with heavy sentences, he said.
He explained that if the number of female Israeli soldiers is lower, the number of Palestinian prisoners released will also decrease, and regarding deportations, he said Egypt will be one of the destinations at this stage.
The three-stage Gaza ceasefire agreement came into effect on January 19. The first stage is set to last for 42 days, during which negotiations will take place for the second and third stages, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the US.
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Under the agreement, Hamas released three Israeli women in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were women and children.
Overall, Israel currently holds more than 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, while an estimated 96 Israeli prisoners are held in Gaza, with Hamas reporting dozens of them killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.
Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to local health authorities. The military campaign has devastated Gaza. (T/RE1/P2)
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