Marwan Barghouti remains one of the most popular Palestinian leaders in Israeli jails.
"Hamas insists that the final list include seven senior leaders, most notably Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Saadat, Ibrahim Hamed, and Abbas Al-Sayyed," a source said. The detail was confirmed by a second source.
The first source also said that Hamas and its allied groups had "completed all preparations" for handing over to Israel all the living captives and some of the deceased ones held in Gaza.
Israeli officials said the release of Palestinian prisoners will only begin once the safe return of all 20 surviving captives held in Gaza is confirmed, with the captives’ release expected to start early Monday.
Earlier on Saturday, several Palestinian prisoners reportedly contacted their families in the West Bank, expressing joy over their expected release on Monday, according to the Palestinian daily Al-Quds and videos circulating online.
Under the agreement, Israel is set to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, along with about 1,700 detainees captured from Gaza after 7 October 2023.
The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect at noon on Friday, Jerusalem time (09:00 GMT), after the Israeli government approved it earlier that morning.
Israeli authorities estimate that 48 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Meanwhile, more than 11,100 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, where human rights groups report harsh conditions, including torture, starvation, and medical neglect, conditions that have led to several deaths.
On Friday, the Israeli Ministry of Justice published a list of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences who are set to be freed under the ceasefire deal. However, the Shin Bet intelligence agency reportedly opposed the release of 25 senior prisoners.
The Prisoners’ Media Office said no final agreement on the release lists has yet been reached.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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