This evening (Thursday), the Cabinet will be asked to approve the release of Palestinian Arab prisoners—250 terrorists serving life-terms and 1,700 Gaza residents who were arrested after the massacre and were not involved in the October 7 attacks.
Once the Security Cabinet and the government approve the prisoner list, it will be made public, as has been done in previous cases.
The decision states: “Within 72 hours of the completion of IDF preparations, 20 living Israeli hostages and 28 deceased hostages will be released from the Gaza Strip back to Israel, including four deceased hostages who are not Israeli. All living and deceased hostages will be transferred to the security forces of the State of Israel.”
“For reasons related to the management of the country’s foreign relations and national security, 250 prisoners and detainees will be released from the list of 270 inmates currently held in Shabak (ISA) custody (hereinafter—‘security prisoners’).” It also specifies that “1,700 Gaza residents who were not involved in the October 7 events and were arrested afterward, as well as 22 minors from Gaza who were not involved in the October 7 events and were arrested later, will also be released.”
Additionally, contingent on the release of the deceased hostages, Israel will transfer to Gaza the bodies of 360 terrorists, according to a ratio of 15 terrorist bodies for each Israeli deceased hostage (out of 28 deceased hostages, four are not Israeli).
If Hamas returns fewer deceased hostages, Israel will return fewer terrorist bodies to Gaza, according to the stated ratio. In any case, the decision notes that security prisoners, Gaza residents not involved in the October 7 events, and the terrorists’ bodies will be transferred immediately after Israel receives all hostages.
A terrorist convicted of murder, weapons manufacturing used for murder, or sending an attacker to carry out a lethal attack will be released under this decision on condition that they are sent to Gaza or abroad and will never return to Israel or the territories of Judea and Samaria. A Gaza resident not involved in the October 7 massacre will be released to Gaza under this decision.
As stated, the life-term prisoners released under the deal will be deported to Gaza or countries abroad that agree to accept them. According to estimates, Turkey and Qatar are expected to receive the majority of the life-term prisoners.