Hamas Pushes for High-Profile Prisoner Releases in Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Fri Oct 17 2025 09:25:13 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

As part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations, Hamas demands the release of notable Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody, including Marwan Barghouti, in exchange for hostages held in Gaza.

Hamas is urging Israel to include prominent prisoners in a proposed release list tied to a ceasefire deal. The call followed Israel’s announcement to free 250 prisoners but omitted high-profile names like Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat. The tensions surrounding this demand could affect the timeline of hostages' release, with significant implications for both sides amidst ongoing negotiations.

Hamas is pressing Israel to include prominent Palestinians in a prisoner-release list as part of a ceasefire deal that will also see hostages returned from Gaza.

Hamas's insistence comes after the Israeli justice ministry published the names of 250 prisoners to be freed, but excluded seven high-profile prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat.

The men, who are serving sentences after being convicted of involvement in separate deadly attacks in Israel, have long been seen by Palestinians as symbols of resistance.

Twenty Israeli hostages are expected to be released before 12:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday as part of the deal proposed by US President Donald Trump.

A senior Palestinian official familiar with the talks told the BBC that US envoy Steve Witkoff had promised to raise the exclusion of the Palestinian prisoners with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but Israel has firmly refused to include them.

It is not clear whether this could be a sticking point, or impact the timeline for the release of hostages from the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The releases are due to take place in the first phase of Trump's ceasefire and hostage return deal, approved this week to end the two-year war in Gaza.

Israel will also release about 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli jails, and another 1,700 Palestinians from Gaza who have been detained.

Barghouti is serving five life sentences plus 40 years after being convicted in 2004 of planning attacks that led to five civilians being killed.

Opinion polls have consistently indicated that he remains the most popular Palestinian leader, and that Palestinians would vote for him in a presidential election ahead of the current Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas leaders.

Following the ceasefire, hospitals in Israel have been preparing for the return of hostages, as families anticipate the outcome of the ongoing negotiations.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have returned from southern Gaza to Gaza City, weeks after fleeing Israeli offensives that ravaged the area. Recovery operations are underway as the humanitarian crisis continues.