From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 7, 2025
Prison Service prepping for release of next round of Palestinian prisoners tomorrow in hostage deal
The Israel Prison Service is preparing to release the next round of Palestinian security prisoners as part of the ongoing hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas.
“The Prison Service has received the list of security prisoners expected to be released from various prisons as part of Operation ‘Wings of Freedom’ to return the hostages home,” says an IPS statement.
The prisoners will be transported by the prison service’s Nahshon unit from the Ofer Prison, located in the West Bank, and the Keziot Prison in the Negev.
Hamas has said Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners tomorrow, including 18 who have been serving life sentences, in exchange for the release of three hostages — Ohad Ben Ami, Or Levy and Eli Sharabi.
All three have been held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists burst across the border, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.
The Palestinian prisoners will be identified by Red Cross representatives and only released after the Israeli hostages are freed from Gaza, as in the previous rounds since the ceasefire came into effect in January.
The prisoners will be released to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, according to the IPS statement.
