Israel releases names of 95 Palestinians to be freed on Sunday as part of Gaza deal

By Said Amouri

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel's Justice Ministry on Friday released names of 95 Palestinians slated to be released on Sunday in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The list includes women and young men up to 25 years old.

Khalida Jarrar, a prominent leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (parliament), is on the list.

The list also includes journalist Bushra Al-Taweel, who was released in a previous prisoner swap in 2011 between Hamas and Israel. She is the daughter of senior Hamas leader Jamal Al-Taweel who served as mayor of the West Bank city of Al-Bireh.

Among the women to be freed is also Dalal al-Arouri, sister of Saleh al-Arouri, deputy leader of Hamas who was assassinated by Israel in January last year.

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the security cabinet approved the prisoner swap and ceasefire agreement.

Qatar announced the three-phase agreement on Wednesday to end over 15 months of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have killed nearly 47,000 people and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for 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.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar