Hamas Presses Israel to Include Top Palestinian Prisoners in Gaza Ceasefire Deal
Hamas is urging Israel to add prominent Palestinian figures to its prisoner-release list as part of a high-stakes ceasefire agreement that also includes the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The demand has created new tension within ongoing negotiations mediated by the United States.
The issue arose after Israel’s Justice Ministry published a list of 250 Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release. The document notably excluded seven well-known political prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat, both long viewed by Palestinians as enduring symbols of resistance against Israeli occupation.
According to Hamas officials, excluding these key figures undermines the spirit of the ceasefire agreement. The group insists that their inclusion is essential to demonstrate fairness and good faith in the peace process.
Prominent Palestinian Figures Excluded
Barghouti, a senior member of the Fatah movement, is currently serving five life sentences plus forty years in prison for his role in organizing attacks that led to the deaths of five civilians in 2004. Despite nearly two decades behind bars, Barghouti remains one of the most popular leaders among Palestinians. Opinion polls continue to show that he would likely defeat both Mahmoud Abbas, the current President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Hamas leaders if a national election were held.
Ahmad Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), is also on Hamas’s requested list. He was sentenced to 30 years in 2008 after being convicted of leading an “illegal terrorist organization” and involvement in the 2001 assassination of an Israeli minister. For many Palestinians, Saadat represents the old guard of steadfast political resistance.
Despite repeated appeals, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has rejected the inclusion of these figures, arguing that releasing individuals convicted of deadly attacks could reignite violence and jeopardize national security.
Hostage Exchange Timeline and U.S. Mediation
Under the ceasefire deal, approximately 20 Israeli hostages are expected to be released by midday Monday, according to the agreement facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The hostages’ release will coincide with the freeing of 250 Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons.
A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that Witkoff had pledged to raise Hamas’s concerns directly with Netanyahu. However, Israel remains firm in its stance, refusing to alter the list. It remains unclear whether this disagreement will delay the exchange or affect the broader timeline of the ceasefire’s implementation.
The deal also includes the repatriation of the bodies of deceased hostages. Israeli intelligence believes that at least 26 of the captives have died, while the fate of two others remains unknown.
Conditions of the Ceasefire and Prisoner Exchange
The prisoner and hostage releases mark the first phase of Trump’s ceasefire framework, which was approved earlier this week to bring an end to the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In total, Israel will release around 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life terms and an additional 1,700 detainees from Gaza. Among those listed for release is Iyad Abu al-Rub, an Islamic Jihad commander convicted of orchestrating suicide bombings in the early 2000s that killed thirteen Israelis. The Justice Ministry stated that al-Rub will either be transferred to Gaza or deported abroad following his release.
Hamas has also requested that several prisoners who were freed years ago in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit—and later rearrested after the October 7 attacks—be excluded from the current 250-prisoner limit. The group argues that since they were part of an earlier exchange, they should not be counted again in this agreement.
Ceasefire Implementation and Humanitarian Relief
The ceasefire officially began on Friday, with Israeli forces partially withdrawing from several areas of Gaza. The temporary truce has allowed hundreds of aid trucks to enter the enclave daily, bringing desperately needed food, fuel, and medical supplies to civilians affected by months of heavy bombardment.
Negotiations for the next phases of the deal are still underway. These discussions are expected to address the broader political framework for peace, long-term prisoner releases, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Wider Repercussions and Historical Context
Israel’s ongoing military campaign was launched in response to Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza. The attacks were the deadliest on Israeli soil in decades, triggering a massive military offensive that has devastated Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 67,600 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, with thousands more injured or missing. Civilian infrastructure across the territory—including hospitals, schools, and homes—has been reduced to rubble, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into displacement.
Palestinian families returning to northern Gaza have described scenes of utter devastation, with neighborhoods flattened and essential services destroyed. “They’ve destroyed everything,” one resident told reporters, describing the scale of the destruction left behind by Israeli airstrikes.
Symbolism of the Prisoner Issue
The question of political prisoners has long been at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Many Palestinians view detainees like Barghouti and Saadat as national heroes, while Israel considers them dangerous terrorists responsible for civilian deaths. Their possible release, therefore, carries enormous symbolic and political weight.
For Hamas, securing the freedom of such figures would mark a major victory and boost its standing among Palestinians, particularly in the West Bank. For Israel, it would represent a severe security risk and a potential blow to national morale.
Despite these conflicting views, analysts say that the prisoner issue could also serve as a potential bridge toward future negotiations, given that it touches on deeply held sentiments on both sides.
The Road Ahead
While the current ceasefire and prisoner exchange represent a fragile step toward ending the long and bloody conflict, significant challenges remain. Both sides remain skeptical of each other’s intentions, and even minor disputes—like the exclusion of high-profile prisoners—could threaten to derail progress.
Still, international mediators hope that this truce can open the door to broader peace efforts. For now, the world watches closely as hostages return home, prisoners are freed, and weary civilians in Gaza begin to hope—however cautiously—for an end to years of suffering.