Under the deal reached on Wednesday, 33 of some 100 Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza are set to be freed over the next six weeks.
In exchange, Israel is expected to release 50 Palestinians held in Israeli jails for every female soldier released, and 30 Palestinians for other hostages: civilian women, children and people aged over 50.
Israeli media has reported that the country is willing to release about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Mervat Moadi, 53, from the village of Jifna, north of Ramallah, was waiting anxiously for the official list of Palestinian prisoners to be released. Her husband Marwan, 64, was jailed in 2012 for participating in an infamous incident in the second intifada in which two army reservists who got lost on the way to an Israeli settlement were lynched by a crowd at a police station in Ramallah in 2000.
Marwan, was charged and sentenced to eight years of prison over the killings, with his conviction extended on appeal to 22 years. The couple have three sons and grandchildren which he has never met.
This story is from the January 17, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the January 17, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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