Palestinian Prisoners List Published as Ceasefire Exchange Begins

The Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office has officially published comprehensive lists identifying Palestinian detainees scheduled for release under the Gaza ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hamas. Monday's publication detailed the names of 1,718 Palestinian prisoners designated for release, including 250 individuals serving life sentences in Israeli detention facilities, as part of the reciprocal exchange for Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed Monday that the process of releasing Israeli hostages had commenced, marking the initial implementation phase of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas simultaneously confirmed the commencement of hostage releases under the first phase of US President Donald Trump's peace framework, reaffirming the organization's commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the negotiated arrangement while emphasizing the importance of mediators ensuring Israeli compliance with agreement terms.

The prisoner-hostage exchange implements the initial phase of the 20-point ceasefire plan President Trump announced last Wednesday, which includes the release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all Israeli captives and establishes provisions for gradual Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire officially took effect Friday, with Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, characterizing the agreement as "the result of the steadfastness of our people, and the steadfastness of their resistance" while confirming commitment to established implementation timetables.

The second phase of the ceasefire framework envisions establishing new governance structures in Gaza excluding Hamas participation, deploying multinational security forces, and implementing Hamas disarmament arrangements. The agreement emerges after extensive hostilities that have resulted in more than 67,800 Palestinian fatalities since October 2023, with women and children comprising the majority of casualties and widespread infrastructure destruction rendering the coastal territory largely uninhabitable.