602 Palestinian Prisoners to be Released Tomorrow by Israel - ASRA
Gaza, February 21, 2025: The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office (ASRA) has announced that Israel is set to release 602 Palestinian prisoners tomorrow (Saturday). Among those to be released are 50 Palestinians sentenced to life imprisonment and 60 others with lengthy sentences. Additionally, 47 Palestinians, who were released as part of the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange but were later re-arrested, will also be freed. Furthermore, 445 Palestinians from Gaza, arrested after October 7, 2023, will also be released.
This release is a significant step as part of the first phase of an ongoing prisoner swap deal. As part of this agreement, Hamas has also announced the names of six Israeli captives who will be freed tomorrow.
So far, Israel has received 19 prisoners and four bodies. On Saturday, Israel will also receive six more captives, while four more bodies are expected to be handed over next week, completing the first phase of the agreement.
Additionally, Israel has already released 1,135 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were serving life sentences. However, the start of negotiations for the second phase, originally scheduled for February 3, has been delayed by Israel.
Last month, a ceasefire agreement came into effect, halting Israel’s brutal military campaign. The war has resulted in at least 48,300 deaths, the majority of whom were women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Moreover, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
