Israel, Hamas agree to swap 200 Palestinian prisoners for four hostages

In a significant development in the ongoing conflict, Israel has agreed to release 200 Palestinian prisoners on January 25 in exchange for four hostages held by Hamas.

The Palestinian Commission for Prisoners' Affairs made the announcement on Facebook, confirming that the list of prisoners set for release includes 121 individuals sentenced to life imprisonment and 79 others who have received lengthy sentences in Israeli prisons, Caliber.Az reports citing international media sources.

The commission noted that an initial list provided by Israel contained errors, but the final, corrected list has now been made available on its official page. The names of the 200 prisoners were carefully reviewed and finalized with the involvement of mediators.

The four hostages to be released — Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag — are all women who had previously served in the Israel Defence Forces. They had been held captive in the Gaza Strip for an extended period. A spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, the Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed the hostages' release, announcing that they would be freed on January 25.

This prisoner exchange is part of the broader ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which went into effect on January 19. The ceasefire saw an initial step taken that evening, as Palestinian factions released the first group of hostages, which included three individuals. In return, Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ongoing agreement.

The deal between Hamas and Israel was reached following intense mediation efforts from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. Qatar’s Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani, officially announced on January 15 that the ceasefire agreement and the hostages’ release were the result of successful negotiations facilitated by Doha, Cairo, and Washington.

This agreement, which is structured to unfold in phases, will last for 42 days. In the first phase, Hamas has agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages, while Israel is expected to free a corresponding number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The two sides are continuing to negotiate further terms as the ceasefire remains in effect.

By Tamilla Hasanova