Israel’s Justice Ministry has announced the approval of a plan to release 737 prisoners and detainees in the first phase of a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, set to begin on Sunday.
In a statement posted on its website, the ministry confirmed that the government had sanctioned the release, which will include men, women, and children currently held by Israeli authorities. None of the prisoners will be freed before 4:00 pm local time (1400 GMT) on Sunday, the ministry clarified.
This announcement follows the earlier publication of a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners slated for release, the majority of whom are women. Among the notable names now included in the expanded list are Zakaria Zubeidi, a former leader of the armed wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction, and Khalida Jarar, a prominent left-wing Palestinian lawmaker.
Zubeidi, who gained fame among Palestinians after escaping from Israel’s Gilboa prison in 2021 alongside five others, is hailed as a hero in Palestinian circles.
Jarar, aged 60, has been repeatedly detained by Israel and was most recently held without charge since December 2023 in the occupied West Bank.
Meanwhile, Hamas sources have indicated that the first group of hostages to be released by the Palestinian group comprises three Israeli women soldiers. The group did not clarify whether these individuals were civilians or military personnel at the time of their abduction.
The Israeli cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement early on Saturday, ending speculation about whether the truce would proceed as planned.
Justice Ministry spokeswoman Noga Katz noted that the total number of prisoners released in this phase depends on the number of hostages returned by Hamas.
