The armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced on Friday the names of three Israeli captives to be released as part of the fifth batch of detainee exchanges with Israel under a ceasefire deal.
The Palestinian Resistance movement, Hamas, has published the names of 183 Palestinian detainees who are set to be released on Saturday in exchange for three Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip.
The list includes 18 detainees serving life sentences and 54 serving high-term sentences in Israeli jails, according to information published by the group’s Prisoners’ Information Office, the Anadolu news agency reported. Seven detainees will be deported.
Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, announced yesterday the names of the three Israeli captives scheduled to be released on Saturday, as part of the fifth batch of the prisoner exchange deal.
Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office also stated that the Israeli… pic.twitter.com/TLXCpqbCda
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) February 8, 2025
Regarding political affiliations, the list showed that 38 detainees are members of Hamas, 30 from Fatah, one from the Islamic Jihad and three with no political affiliations.
Among those to be freed, are 111 Palestinians who were detained by the Israeli army in Gaza after October 7, 2023, during the genocidal war on Gaza.
Saturday’s handover of the Israeli detainees is to take place in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, according to reports.
Earlier on Friday, the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced the names of three Israeli captives to be released as part of the fifth batch of detainee exchanges with Israel under a ceasefire deal.
Over 10,000 in Detention
Palestinian human rights groups estimate that Israel holds more than 10,000 Palestinian detainees, including 600 serving life sentences.
A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on January 19 and will be implemented in three phases.
Under the first phase – lasting six weeks – 33 Israeli prisoners held in Gaza were to be released in exchange for 737 Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel.
The second phase is expected to facilitate the release of the remaining Israeli detainees, while the third and final stage will focus on Gaza’s reconstruction and the return of the remains of Israeli captives who died in custody.
Resumption of Talks
An Israeli negotiating team will travel to Qatar on Saturday to restart talks with Hamas on the ceasefire deal.
Citing Israel’s public broadcaster, Anadolu reported that the delegation was composed of officials from Shin Bet and Mossad.
Resumption of Ceasefire Talks – Israeli Delegation to Head to Doha
The report noted that the delegation has been instructed by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to finalize the first phase of the deal and begin discussions on the second phase.
The ceasefire has brought to a halt Israel’s genocidal war that began on October 7, 2023, and has killed more than 47,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
(PC, Anadolu)
