Israel to release 369 Palestinian prisoners in Saturday’s exchange
Israel is set to release 369 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as part of the sixth batch of the first phase of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, according to Palestinian sources.
In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office, affiliated with the Hamas movement, stated that the released group will include 36 prisoners serving life sentences and 333 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after Oct. 7, 2023.
In exchange, Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, announced earlier Friday the names of three Israeli captives scheduled for release on Saturday as part of the swap deal.
On Thursday, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the agreement as signed, including the prisoner exchange according to the agreed timeline.
Hamas indicated that mediators from Egypt and Qatar have worked to resolve obstacles caused by Israel’s violations of the agreement, describing the negotiations as "positive."
These mediation efforts followed Hamas' decision on Monday to suspend the release of Israeli captives until Tel Aviv ceases its violations and retroactively complies with the humanitarian protocol of the agreement.
The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, pausing the Israeli war that has killed more than 48,200 people, mostly women and children, and left the Palestinian enclave in ruins.
