On January 18, 2025, the Israeli Ministry of Justice announced the list of 735 Palestinian prisoners set to be released as part of the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. This phase, which is scheduled to begin on January 21 and span 42 days, will see the gradual release of prisoners alongside 1,167 residents detained from Gaza. In exchange, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages currently held in Gaza.
Among the prisoners to be freed are individuals convicted of severe offenses, including Ahmed Barghouti, serving 13 life terms for the murder of 12 Israelis, and Majdi Zaatari, sentenced to 23 life terms and an additional 50 years for his role in a 2003 suicide bombing in Jerusalem that killed 23 people. Senior Hamas member Salim Hajja, who was serving 16 life terms for a 2001 suicide bus attack in Haifa, and Mohammed Naifa, convicted of murdering 13 Israelis, are also on the list. Notably, Zakaria Zubeidi, a commander of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades in Jenin, West Bank, is among the detainees slated for release.
The agreement also permits Israeli citizens, particularly victims’ families, to petition the High Court of Justice to challenge the release of specific prisoners. The ceasefire deal was approved by Israel’s cabinet, with 24 ministers voting in favor and eight against. Despite the agreement, some far-right ministers, including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, opposed the deal, demanding a government commitment to resume military action in Gaza if the second phase of the deal, involving the release of the hostages, is not implemented.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that US President-elect Donald Trump assured him that Israel would receive a halt in arms supplies upon taking office, providing Israel with additional leverage if the ceasefire agreement is violated.
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