Hamas has asked Israel to add prominent Palestinians to a prisoner-release list as part of a ceasefire agreement that will also include the return of hostages from Gaza.The call follows the Israeli justice ministry’s announcement of 250 prisoners slated for release, which notably excluded seven high-profile figures, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat.Convicted for their roles in separate deadly attacks in Israel, the men are regarded by many Palestinians as enduring symbols of resistance.Of the 250 prisoners set for release, 15 will go to East Jerusalem, 100 to the West Bank, and 135, convicted of murder or weapons offenses, are slated for deportation to Gaza or other locations, according to the government’s Friday announcement, as reported by the Times of Israel.
A few of those who are to be released:
Iyad Abu al-Rub– He is the commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Jenin area of the West Bank and has orchestrated several deadly attacks, including suicide bombings in Shadmot Mechola (June 2003), Tel Aviv (February 2004), and Hadera (2005), which together claimed 13 lives.Mahmoud Qawasmeh– a senior Hamas member released in the Shalit deal, deported to Gaza, and re-arrested during the 2024 Gaza war, is also slated for release.Imad Qawasmeh– A 52-year-old local Hamas leader, convicted for directing a 2004 double suicide bombing that killed 16 Israelis, was captured by Israeli forces in the West Bank two months after the attack while in his underwear. According to the Prisoners Organization Media Office, he is considered one of the “leaders” among incarcerated terrorists and is serving 16 life sentences, as cited by the New York Post.Morad Bader Abdullah Adais– A 25-year-old Palestinian was convicted of fatally stabbing Dafna Meir, a 39-year-old mother of six, in 2016 using a kitchen knife. He was 16 at the time and reportedly went home to watch a movie with his family after the attack.Hilmi Abdul Karim Muhammad Hammash– He was sentenced for orchestrating the 2004 Jerusalem street bus suicide bombing, which killed 11 Israelis and the bomber, and injured 50 others.Baher Badr– A Hamas member arrested in 2004 alongside his brother for plotting a bus station suicide bombing near an IDF base that killed eight people.Barghouti, 66, is serving multiple life sentences for the 2004 attacks that killed five Israelis. Despite remaining in prison, he is considered a potential successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, enjoying broad support among Palestinians while backing a two-state solution.
