Government approves last minute change to list of prisoners slated for release in first phase of Gaza deal

The government voted a short while ago to approve last-minute changes to the list of Palestinian prisoners that will be released in exchange for the hostages.

The telephone vote was held after mediators in Egypt agreed to remove 11 Fatah-affiliated prisoners from the list of those slated for release, and replace them with 11 Hamas-affiliated prisoners, instead.

Among the prisoners added to the list of those due to be released is Mahmoud Issa, who has been imprisoned since 1993 for his part in the abduction and murder of Nissim Toledano the previous year.

Two of the 11 prisoners are serving a two-year sentence, due to end in June 2026, and the other nine are serving life sentences.