Israel to release 620 Palestinian prisoners in latest exchange deal: Palestinian institutions

By Aysar Alais and Ikram Kouachi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli authorities are set to release 620 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as part of the seventh batch of the first phase in the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.

The list of released prisoners includes 50 individuals serving life sentences, 60 prisoners with long-term sentences, and 41 prisoners, who had been re-arrested after being freed in the 2011 Shalit deal, according to statements from Palestinian institutions, including the Hamas-affiliated Prisoners' Information Office, the Commission of Detainees' Affairs, and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society.

The list also includes 23 children, one woman, and 445 detainees from Gaza, who were arrested after Oct. 7, 2023.

Among those being released, 97 prisoners are set to be forcibly deported. While, 95 prisoners are affiliated with Hamas, 40 with Fatah, 12 with Islamic Jihad, and four with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Earlier in the day, the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, handed over six Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Rafah, Nuseirat, and Gaza City.

The ceasefire deal took effect last month, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,300 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.