Israel names Palestinian detainees in swap deal with Hamas

By Abdul Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel's Justice Ministry released on Wednesday a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners included in a swap deal with Hamas.

The list includes detainees belonging to various Palestinian factions such as Hamas, Fatah, the Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The list was posted on the ministry’s website to give the Israeli public 24 hours to appeal to the court against the release of any name in the list.

The publication of the list came shortly after Israel and Hamas announced a truce-for-hostage deal early Wednesday.

Under the agreement, 50 Israelis held by Hamas will be released in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, Israeli media reported.

The deal also includes a four-day pause in fighting and the entry of 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including fuel, into the Gaza Strip.

The agreement also allows an extension of the pause and the potential release of more children and women held by the two sides.

Israel estimates that at least 239 Israelis are being held by Hamas following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack, killing more than 14,128 Palestinians, including 5,840 children and 3,920 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ziad Aslan in Ankara