Hamas Completes Preparations for Prisoners' Exchange and Insists on Releasing 7 Leaders

SadaNews - Hamas insists that the list of detainees to be released by Israel under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza must include seven prominent Palestinian leaders, according to reports by the French Press Agency on Sunday from sources familiar with the negotiations.

One of these sources stated, "Hamas insists that the final list include the seven senior leaders, most notably Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa'adat, Ibrahim Hamid, and Abbas al-Sayyid," a point that was confirmed by another source to the same agency.

The source added that the movement and its allies have completed all preparations to hand over to Israel all the living prisoners held in Gaza.

This comes as the "Prisoners' Media Office" affiliated with Hamas stated today that there are "complex obstacles" preventing the official announcement of the final lists of prisoners scheduled for release in the exchange deal with Israel as part of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The office stated in a message on its Telegram account: "The Prisoners' Media Office confirms that complex obstacles still prevent the official announcement of the released prisoners' lists in the exchange deal, which includes prisoners from Gaza, women, and children."

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It confirmed that "efforts are ongoing around the clock to overcome these obstacles and complete the required procedures." The office said it would "announce the names and all details related to the deal as soon as the discussions are completed and the final lists are approved up to the last name."

On Friday, the Israeli Ministry of Justice published the names of 250 Palestinian detainees sentenced to life imprisonment, who are expected to be released under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, but the "Prisoners' Media Office" denied that a "formal agreement on the lists" had been reached.