By Nadine Osman
London, (The Muslim News): Israel on Friday posted a list of 250 Palestinian prisoners slated for release under a Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal with Hamas. However, Palestinian officials said no final prisoner list has been agreed upon, highlighting ongoing uncertainty over the planned exchange.
The Justice Ministry published the list on its website, a customary step that allows the public to submit petitions to the Supreme Court opposing the prisoners’ release — although such petitions are usually rejected. Notably absent were key figures demanded by Hamas, including Marwan Barghouti, Ahmed Saadat, and Ibrahim Hamed.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office said on Telegram that no agreement had been reached on prisoner exchange lists and that any final names would be announced officially. Hamas has not yet commented.
According to details obtained by Anadolu Agency, the ceasefire agreement stipulates that within 72 hours of the Israeli forces’ withdrawal, all Israeli hostages held in Gaza — living and deceased — will be released. In return, Israel will free 250 life-sentenced prisoners and 1,700 detainees arrested since the conflict began on October 7, 2023. The deal involves the release of 20 Israeli captives.
US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed on Friday that the 72-hour countdown for releasing Israeli hostages has begun, following the Israeli Defense Forces’ completion of the first phase of their withdrawal to the “yellow line” outlined in the ceasefire plan. Posting on X, Witkoff said, “CENTCOM has confirmed that the Israeli Defense Forces completed the first phase withdrawal to the yellow line at 12PM local time. The 72-hour period to release the hostages has begun.”
Under US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire framework, Hamas is required to release 20 hostages and hand over the remains of 28 deceased captives within 72 hours of the deal’s implementation. Locating the bodies of the deceased, however, remains a challenge.
Israel announced that the Gaza ceasefire took effect at noon Friday, with its army repositioning along new lines to begin a phased withdrawal and the return of abductees.
As the ceasefire took effect, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to Gaza City via the reopened Al-Rashid Street. The Israeli army also permitted movement along Salah al-Din Road but warned of “extreme danger” near military positions in northern and southern Gaza.
Fishing and swimming along the coastline remain prohibited due to “significant danger,” and residents were urged to avoid these areas until further notice.
The withdrawal revealed widespread destruction across Gaza, with footage showing flattened homes and rubble-strewn streets, particularly in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood near the Saeed Siyam Mosque. Intense demolition had targeted multiple areas, including tunnel zones east of Sheikh Radwan and the Al-Nasr district northwest of the city, leaving thousands of homes destroyed or severely damaged.
Approximately 200 US troops will join a multinational force to monitor and help implement the Gaza ceasefire, officials announced Thursday. The troops will not enter Gaza but will establish a joint control center and coordinate with military representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and potentially the UAE.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Bradley Cooper will oversee the operation, ensuring adherence to the ceasefire and preventing violations. The US contingent, comprising personnel already stationed at CENTCOM, will serve as the core of an “International Stabilization Force” to facilitate a peaceful transition and deconfliction with the Israeli Defense Forces.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the troops “will be tasked with monitoring the peace agreement in Israel and working with other international forces on the ground.”
In separate news, the White House expressed disappointment that a Venezuelan opposition leader, rather than President Trump, won the Nobel Peace Prize. Spokesman Steven Cheung said on X that Trump “will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives,” accusing the committee of favouring politics over peace.
[Photo: Thousands of Palestinians, carrying what belongings they could, with whatever transport they could find, begin returning from the south to the north of the region along Al-Rashid Street, which connects the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip on October 10, 2025. What awaits them is their homes in rubble, destruction by Israeli army. Photojournalist: Stringer/AA]
