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Representative image (Picture credit: AP)
Israel is set to release 110 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday in exchange for three Israeli hostages, soldier Agam Berger and civilians Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Mozes, Times of Israel reported.
While the full list of prisoners has not yet been confirmed, prominent terror convicts
Zakaria Zubeidi
, Mahmoud Atallah, and Ahmed Barghouti are among those expected to be freed, according to multiple media reports.
- Zakaria Zubeidi, a former leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, was responsible for numerous attacks during the Second Intifada and previously escaped from Gilboa Prison in 2021 before being recaptured.
- Mahmoud Atallah, serving a life sentence for killing a Palestinian woman suspected of collaborating with Israel, will be released to Nablus.
- Ahmed Barghouti, a senior Fatah military official convicted of attacks that killed 12 Israelis, will be deported abroad via Egypt.
Of the 110 prisoners to be released, 33 are serving life sentences for deadly attacks, 47 have long prison terms, and the remaining 30 are women and minors, according to Times of Israel.
The decision to deport some high-profile convicts instead of allowing them to return to the West Bank or Gaza has sparked debate among Israeli security experts.
While deportation reduces immediate risks, some former prisoners have continued to coordinate attacks from abroad. Past data from the Shin Bet indicates that 82% of prisoners released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal maintained ties with terrorist groups, though only 12% were directly involved in planning attacks.
Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli intelligence officer quoted by the outlet, argued that keeping such individuals in the West Bank allows Israeli forces to track and neutralize them more easily. However, others point to figures like Saleh al-Arouri, who orchestrated terror attacks from exile before being assassinated in Lebanon earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Hamas is set to release five Thai captives along with the three Israeli hostages, according to AFP. This marks the third such exchange since the ceasefire began earlier this month.
The ongoing truce, brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, aims to secure the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel says Hamas has confirmed that at least eight of the hostages to be freed in this phase are already dead.
While the first phase of the agreement is progressing, negotiations for the next stage, expected to involve the release of young male Israeli hostages, including soldiers, remain uncertain. Hamas has reportedly promised the families of high-profile prisoners
Marwan Barghouti
and Ahmad Saadat that they will be freed in the second phase, Times of Israel reported.
With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to visit Washington next week for talks with US President Donald Trump, the outcome of these negotiations could shape the next steps in the conflict.
