The Israel Prison Service is preparing to free 90 Palestinian terrorists as part of Sunday’s hostage release, the organization announced on Sunday afternoon. Some 1,500 guards will participate in the operation, it said.
Seventy-eight of the terrorists will be released to Judea and Samaria, and 12 to eastern Jerusalem, a spokesperson for the Prison Service told JNS.
In accordance with the terms of the ceasefire, the terrorists will not be freed until the three hostages—Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari—have been returned to the Jewish state by the IDF.
The Palestinian prisoners that will be freed on Sunday will first be taken to Ofer Prison near Ramallah. Upon their arrival, they will be met by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
After the return of the hostages is confirmed by Jerusalem, the Red Cross will transport the released terrorists to various release points.
Earlier on Sunday, Israel’s Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, rejected a petition filed by victims of terrorism that sought to block the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire.
Hamas in a statement on Sunday called on Palestinians across Judea and Samaria to take to the streets to celebrate the terrorists’ release. Jerusalem has vowed to thwart such celebrations.
Qadura Fares, whom Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas promoted to the rank of minister in 2023 to head the PLO division that advocates on behalf of terrorists jailed in the Jewish state, told Arabic media on Sunday that the release of the Palestinian terrorists jailed in Israel was a source of “pride, hope and honor for every Palestinian.”
Fares said that Ramallah would press for the release of additional high-profile terrorists, including Fatah-Tanzim head Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Sa’adat, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, in the second phase of the deal.
