Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Prisoner Exchange: Who Are the 2,000 Palestinians Being Released in Gaza Ceasefire Deal

For Palestinians, prisoner issues represent one of the most politically sensitive matters in society. (File)

Beitunia, West Bank:

Under a newly negotiated ceasefire agreement that many hope will end a two-year conflict, Israel is preparing to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 48 hostages—both living and deceased—still held captive in the Gaza Strip.

These releases hold profound significance for both sides involved. Israelis find the process deeply painful, as some released individuals were convicted for attacks resulting in civilian and military casualties. For Palestinians, prisoner concerns are extremely politically charged, with almost every Palestinian having personal connections—family members or friends—who have experienced detention by Israeli authorities, particularly young men. While Israel categorizes these individuals as terrorists, many Palestinians view them as freedom fighters resisting decades of Israeli military occupation.

In previous prisoner exchanges, both parties have carefully orchestrated the releases—controlling images, clothing, and ceremonies—due to their political implications.

The 2,000 individuals include approximately 1,700 Palestinians seized by Israeli forces from Gaza during the two-year conflict who have been detained without formal charges.

Those scheduled for release also include 250 Palestinians serving prison sentences, most convicted of murder and terrorism in deadly attacks against Israelis spanning decades, along with others convicted on lesser charges, according to Israel's Justice Ministry. The longest-serving prisoner has been incarcerated for nearly four decades.

Israel's Prison Service has been preparing detainees at two facilities—Ofer, located near Jerusalem, and Ketziot, situated in the southern Negev desert.

Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian stated Sunday that prisoner releases would occur after living hostages are freed.

Those detained from Gaza during the conflict will return there. Among the 250 convicted Palestinians, some will return to East Jerusalem, the West Bank, or Gaza, while the majority will be transferred to Gaza or exiled abroad.

On Monday morning, Palestinians gathered at viewpoints overlooking Ofer Prison, anticipating the release of detainees and prisoners. While awaiting friends and relatives, they shared coffee and expressed hopes that the agreement might establish a pathway toward peace.

An armored Israeli vehicle approached from the prison and fired tear gas and rubber bullets toward one section of the hill. As drones circulated overhead, crowds dispersed. The tear gas followed distribution of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it termed "terrorist organizations" risked arrest.

"You have been warned," stated the flier, which AP obtained on location.

Israel has cautioned West Bank residents against celebrations—which have frequently occurred during past releases—according to a Palestinian Authority official and a prisoner's family who spoke with AP. In neighborhoods where prisoners' families reside, Israeli forces distributed fliers warning that "anyone who participates in such activities exposes himself to punishment and arrest," the official reported. The Associated Press examined a copy of this flier.

Israel's military did not respond to inquiries regarding the flier or restrictions. The official spoke anonymously due to lack of press authorization, while the family feared potential reprisals.

Rapid developments following last week's ceasefire agreement have created uncertainty about who would be released. Israel published a list of approximately 250 convicted prisoners scheduled for release, but Hamas requested modifications. Early Monday, Hamas released names of just over 1,900 prisoners and detainees reportedly slated for freedom, though Israel did not confirm this list.

Israel has provided minimal information about the 1,700 Gaza detainees to be released. Israeli forces detained thousands of Palestinians throughout the war during raids on shelters and hospitals and at checkpoints while families fled military operations. Hundreds have been released during the course of the conflict.

Monday's release would still leave approximately 1,300 Palestinians from Gaza in Israeli custody, according to September detainee counts by Israeli human rights organization Hamoked.

According to Hamas's list, Gaza detainees scheduled for release include two women, six teenagers under 18, and approximately 30 men over 60. Most detainees have been held under new laws enacted in Israel at the war's beginning that permitted Palestinians to be detained for months as "unlawful combatants" without judicial review or legal representation. Rights groups, the UN, and detainees have reported systematic abuse in detention facilities, including beatings and insufficient nutrition. Israel maintains that it adheres to legal prison standards and investigates violation reports.

The list of 250 convicted prisoners scheduled for release, ranging from 19 to 64 years old, includes 159 affiliated with Fatah, the political party governing the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, and 63 associated with Hamas. The remaining individuals are unaffiliated or belong to other organizations.

Many were arrested in the early 2000s during the Second Intifada, a Palestinian uprising fueled by frustration over continued occupation despite years of peace negotiations. The uprising became violent, with Palestinian armed groups conducting attacks that killed hundreds of Israelis, while Israeli military operations resulted in several thousand Palestinian casualties.

Some were convicted in military trials that rights advocates claim often lack due process. Others have been incarcerated for months or years without trial under administrative detention. Israel argues this widely criticized practice is necessary to prevent attacks and protect sensitive intelligence.

The list excludes approximately half a dozen high-profile prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti, Hassan Salameh, Ahmed Saadat, and Abbas Al-Sayyed. Barghouti is widely considered a potential successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Israel's list includes:

A 51-year-old Palestinian police officer and Fatah member, Sheikh received multiple life sentences in 2000 for involvement in killing two Israeli soldiers attacked by a mob at a West Bank police station, including one thrown from the station's window.

A 57-year-old Hamas commander imprisoned for life in 1993—before the Oslo interim peace accords—Issa was convicted of participating in kidnapping and killing a 29-year-old Israeli border police officer that year. During his more than three decades of imprisonment, much was spent in solitary confinement, conditions that have made him a symbol among prisoners' rights advocates.

The Shamasneh brothers—56-year-old Mohammed and 62-year-old Abdel Jawad—received multiple life sentences in 1993 for their involvement in a stabbing attack that killed Israeli hitchhikers whose bodies were discovered in a Jerusalem riverbed in 1990 during the first Palestinian intifada.

A 47-year-old Fatah member serving a life sentence, Fatafta was one of two men convicted of murder for stabbing American tourist Kristine Luken and a companion who survived the attack.