Tel Aviv, MINA – Israel plans to release 1,977 Palestinian prisoners, including 290 serving life sentences and 1,687 held on various charges, as part of the first phase of a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which will come into effect on Sunday, according to Israeli media, Anadolu Agency reported.
Tel Aviv will release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages currently held in the Gaza Strip, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.
The agreement includes the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held after October 7, 2023, as well as 47 prisoners who were recaptured despite being freed in a 2011 prisoner swap deal.
The swap will be carried out in seven stages over the first 42 days, according to the agreement.
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Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Friday that the first day of the agreement will see the release of three Israeli hostages, followed by four on the seventh day, and three on the 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days, with the final group of 14 hostages to be released in the final week of the first stage.
A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed that the exchange process is expected to begin on Sunday after being approved by the Security Cabinet and the government.
The Israeli Justice Ministry and the Israel Prison Service will later publish a list of prisoners who will be included in the first stage of the deal.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Commission, Israel is currently holding 10,400 Palestinians, including 600 serving life sentences.
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Qatar announced a three-phase ceasefire agreement on Wednesday night to end more than 15 months of deadly Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, with the truce set to go into effect on Sunday. (T/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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