Gaza City, October 13, 2025 – In a pivotal moment that could reshape the trajectory of the two-year-old Israel-Hamas war, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office announced on Monday the publication of comprehensive lists detailing 1,718 Palestinian detainees and 250 individuals serving life sentences who are slated for release under the terms of a newly implemented Gaza ceasefire agreement. This exchange, brokered by the United States in coordination with Egypt and Qatar, marks the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza, signaling a fragile yet hopeful pause in hostilities that have claimed tens of thousands of lives and devastated the region.
The lists, disseminated via official channels and widely shared across Palestinian media outlets, include names, ages, and detention details of the prisoners, many of whom have been held without trial under administrative detention or convicted on security-related charges. According to the Media Office, the 1,718 detainees comprise primarily young men from Gaza arrested during Israeli military operations since October 7, 2023, including 22 minors and several women. The 250 life-sentence prisoners, often described by Palestinian advocates as political detainees, include high-profile figures accused by Israel of involvement in attacks, though Hamas negotiators pushed unsuccessfully for the inclusion of even more prominent names like Marwan Barghouti.
The announcement coincides with the commencement of the hostage release process, as confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Early Monday morning, ICRC teams initiated a "multi-phase operation" to facilitate the handover, beginning with the transfer of approximately 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 28 deceased captives from Hamas custody in southern Gaza's Khan Younis area. Red Cross vehicles, escorted by neutral observers, rolled into designated handover points, where Hamas militants were reported to have begun assembling the captives without the chaotic public spectacles that marred earlier exchanges in January 2025.
Eyewitnesses in Gaza described a tense but orderly scene as the first groups of hostages—many elderly, women, and children—were loaded onto buses for transport to Israeli-controlled zones. "This is the moment we've prayed for," said one ICRC spokesperson, speaking anonymously due to protocol. The hostages, held for over 730 days, include survivors from the initial October 7, 2023, attacks, such as family members abducted from kibbutzim near the Gaza border. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have prepared medical teams and family reunions at Re'im military base, with President Donald Trump expected to address the Knesset later in the day to hail the deal as a "total victory."
This ceasefire represents the third major truce since the war's onset, following a brief November 2023 pause that freed 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners, and a more extended January-March 2025 armistice that saw eight rounds of swaps, releasing 30 additional Israelis (including five soldiers and five Thai nationals) for around 2,000 Palestinians. Unlike those fragile halts, which collapsed amid mutual accusations of violations, the current agreement—dubbed the "Trump 20-Point Peace Plan"—outlines a phased path toward permanent cessation, including Israeli troop withdrawals to a "yellow line" in central Gaza, a surge in humanitarian aid, and eventual reconstruction under international oversight. The first phase, activated on Friday after Netanyahu's cabinet approval, mandates the full release of living hostages within 72 hours, followed by phased prisoner releases over the coming weeks.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office, an advocacy group affiliated with Palestinian factions, emphasized the humanitarian imperative of the releases. "These lists represent families torn apart by arbitrary detention," a spokesperson stated in a press release. Data from the office indicates that as of April 2025, nearly 10,000 Palestinians were incarcerated in Israeli facilities, including over 400 children and 29 women, many enduring reports of torture, medical neglect, and sexual abuse—allegations vehemently denied by Israel's Prison Service. Among the life-sentence cohort are individuals like Alaa al-Din al-Bazyan, implicated in the 2014 kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers, and Ammar Zaban, a Hamas brigades operative accused of multiple murders. Their inclusion has sparked domestic backlash in Israel, with far-right ministers decrying the deal as a "security risk," though Netanyahu defended it as essential for hostage recovery.
On the Israeli side, the hostage release evokes profound relief tempered by grief. Families gathered in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a vigil site transformed into a celebration hub, waved American and Israeli flags in tribute to Trump's mediation. "Two years of hell end today," said Dalia Yosef, a demonstrator whose relative was among the captives. The ICRC's operation extends to verifying the condition of each hostage, with initial reports indicating most are in stable but weakened health after prolonged captivity involving malnutrition and psychological trauma.
The ceasefire's activation has already yielded tangible humanitarian gains. Over the weekend, hundreds of aid trucks—carrying food, fuel, and medical supplies—crossed into Gaza via Rafah and Kerem Shalom, the first unrestricted influx since March 2025. Displaced Palestinians, many evicted southward by Israeli orders in late 2023, began trekking northward through the Netzarim corridor, a militarized divide now partially demilitarized. "Even rubble is home," said Rami Hamda, a resident of Gaza City, as he navigated debris-strewn roads with his family. Gaza's health ministry reported recovering over 100 bodies from bombardment sites newly accessible, underscoring the war's toll: at least 47,400 Palestinians killed, over 111,000 injured, and 11,000 missing, per local tallies, with Israeli losses standing at around 1,200 from the initial attack plus military casualties.
International reactions poured in as the exchanges unfolded. U.S. President Trump, en route to a Middle East summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, declared the war "over" and credited his administration's "unwavering pressure" for the breakthrough. "No one forced to leave Gaza—those who want to go can, and come back," he reiterated, addressing expulsion fears. European leaders from the E3 (France, Germany, UK) welcomed the truce, pledging UN-backed aid packages and urging Security Council endorsement for subsequent phases, which include Hamas disarmament, Palestinian Authority governance in Gaza, and a 3-5 year reconstruction timeline. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, attending the summit, rejected any postwar Hamas role and called for unified Palestinian statehood efforts.
Yet, amid the optimism, skeptics abound. Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya hailed the deal as ending the "genocidal war" but vowed resistance unless a Palestinian state emerges, while Israeli hardliners like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned of resuming operations if violations occur. Previous truces faltered on similar fault lines: the January 2025 pause extended briefly for Ramadan but crumbled in March over stalled talks and alleged breaches, including 265 Israeli violations cited by Gaza authorities. Analysts note that while Phase One focuses on exchanges and aid, thornier issues—full IDF withdrawal, Philadelphi Corridor security, and Saudi normalization ties—loom in Phases Two and Three.
In Ramallah, anticipation built as Red Cross buses arrived at Ofer Prison, where the first Palestinian releases are expected post-hostage verification. Crowds of relatives chanted slogans of unity, their joy a stark contrast to the war's scars. One freed detainee from an earlier swap, speaking to reporters, recounted "brutal isolation" but expressed hope: "This isn't victory—it's survival. Now, build the peace."
As the sun set over Gaza on Monday, with the last hostages en route to Israel and prisoner buses preparing to depart West Bank facilities, the world watched a rare convergence of diplomacy and desperation. For families on both sides, the lists and handovers are more than transactions—they are lifelines reclaimed from the abyss of conflict. Whether this truce endures beyond the exchanges remains the paramount question, but for now, in the quiet handover points of Khan Younis and the echoing halls of Ofer, humanity flickered back to life.
