RAMALLAH, Palestine 

Israel is expected to release 200 Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences and high-term sentences, in exchange for four Israeli women soldiers, who will be freed this week, a Hamas official said Monday.

The statement was made by Nader Fakhouri, the media official in charge of the Martyrs, Injured, and Prisoners Office of Hamas, and was released by the Prisoners Media Office affiliated with the group.

Fakhouri explained that "the second part of the first phase of the Palestinian resistance factions' agreement with the Israeli occupation will begin on Saturday, Jan. 25.”

“On Saturday, the resistance will announce the names of Israeli prisoners to be released, and in return, the (Israeli) occupation will provide a list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed,” he added.

According to Fakhouri, “based on these two lists, the actual implementation will take place on Sunday, Jan. 26, with the release of Palestinian prisoners and the handing over of Israeli prisoners.”

The agreement stipulates that each Israeli woman soldier corresponds to 30 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 20 with high-term sentences, he said.

He clarified that if the number of Israeli women soldiers is lower, the number of Palestinian prisoners released would also be reduced, and regarding deportation, he said Egypt would be one of the destinations at this stage.

The three-phase Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Jan. 19. The first phase is set to last 42 days, during which negotiations will take place for the second and third phases, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

Under the agreement, Hamas released three Israeli women in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, most of whom were women and children.

Overall, Israel currently holds more than 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, while an estimated 96 Israeli prisoners are being held in Gaza, with Hamas reporting that dozens of them were killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.

Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities. The military campaign has left Gaza in ruins.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

* Writing by Mohammad Sio and Ahmed Asmar.