Palestinians gather on a street in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on October 10, 2025. Gaza's civil defence agency said on October 10 that Israeli forces have begun pulling back from parts of the territory, particularly in Gaza City and Khan Yunis. Israeli prime minister's office said that the government had "approved the framework" of a hostage release deal with Hamas, as both sides edged closer to ending more than two years of hostilities in Gaza. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
As part of a ceasefire arrangement with Hamas, Israel’s justice ministry revealed a list today of 250 convicts who will be freed in exchange for hostages being held in Gaza.
The list does not include the names of several high-ranking Palestinian militant commanders who are viewed as symbols of resistance and whose release Hamas has asked for, according to AFP.
Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Saadat, Hassan Salameh, and Abbas al-Sayyed are some of the Palestinian leaders who are serving life sentences in Israeli prisons.
Some people call Barghouti the “Palestinian Mandela” because he was sentenced to life in prison in 2004 for murder and is seen as a terrorist by Israel.
Based on a 20-point proposal put out by US President Donald Trump, Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on the first step of a truce in Gaza and an exchange of hostages and prisoners.
The plan says that Israel will free 250 inmates and about 1,700 Gazans who have been held since the war started after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamas will give up 47 hostages who are still being held from the 251 people who were taken during the raid two years ago. The body of another hostage, who has been in Gaza since 2014, is also scheduled to be returned.
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