Ceasefire agreement, prisoner exchange deal in Gaza Strip takes effect
Date
1/19/2025 6:57:25 AM
(MENAFN) The ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange deal in the Gaza Strip are set to take effect today, following a consensus reached in technical talks in Cairo regarding its implementation. The Israeli authorities have published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners who will be released as part of the first phase of the agreement, in exchange for three Israeli prisoners. Among those set to be released is Khalida Jarrar, a former member of parliament and leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), along with 30 Palestinian women and children who will be exchanged for the same number of Palestinian women and children held by the occupation. Additionally, 30 elderly and sick Palestinian prisoners will be released for each elderly and sick Israeli prisoner, and for every Zionist soldier, 30 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences will be freed. Moreover, 20 high-level prisoners, each with less than 15 years left on their sentences, will also be released.
The first phase of the agreement will also include the release of 47 Palestinian prisoners who were part of the 2011 exchange deal but were re-arrested by Israel. However, five prominent Palestinian figures, including Marwan Barghouti, Abbas al-Sayyid, Ibrahim Hamed, Abdullah Barghouti, and Hassan Salameh, will not be released in this phase, but will be included in later stages of the agreement, as Hamas demands significant concessions in return for these individuals. The prisoner exchange will see 33 Israeli prisoners released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinians, which includes 737 prisoners detained by the Israeli Prison Authority and 1,167 Palestinians arrested during military operations in Gaza. Zakaria al-Zubaidi, one of six prisoners who escaped from Gilboa prison in 2021, will be part of the initial release.
Throughout the 42-day ceasefire period, Israeli estimates suggest that at least 25 of the 33 Israeli prisoners due for release will be alive. In exchange for future soldier releases, all Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, including elite members of the Qassam Brigades, will need to be freed. The Israeli army will maintain its position around the Philadelphia axis for the entire first phase, and Palestinians, not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, will be stationed at the Rafah crossing, where they will work under the supervision of an international organization approved by the Shin Bet.
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