UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS FROM PRISONERS’ MEDIA OFFICE, ADDS BACKGROUNDS, REVISES DECK
By Ahmed Asmar and Mohammad Sio
The armed wing of Palestinian group Hamas on Friday announced the names of three Israeli captives to be released on Saturday as part of the fifth batch of prisoner swaps with Israel under a ceasefire deal.
In a brief statement, Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida said his group will release “three prisoners” on Saturday, identifying them as Or Levy, Eliyahu Sharabi, and Ohad Ben Ami.
Hamas’ Prisoners Media Office said that Israel is set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, including 18 who have been serving life sentences.
“Following the handover of three Israeli prisoners by Palestinian resistance groups, Israel will release 18 prisoners sentenced to life terms, 54 with lengthy sentences, and 111 from Gaza who were detained after Oct. 7, 2023,” the office said in a statement, referring to the day Israel launched its 15-month offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Once this phase is completed, Al-Qassam will have released a total of 16 Israeli prisoners and five Thai nationals since Jan. 19 under the ongoing exchange deal.
Palestinian human rights groups estimate that Israel holds more than 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, including some 600 serving life sentences.
A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
Under the first phase, the agreement stipulates the gradual release of 33 Israeli captives from Gaza – both living and deceased – in exchange for 1,700 to 2,000 Palestinian and Arab detainees.
Last November the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 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.