A total of 737 prisoners and detainees will be freed according to the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal approved by the Israeli government on Saturday, the Israeli Ministry of Justice said, Reuters reports.
The ministry said on its website that the government approved the release of "737 prisoners and detainees who are being held in the custody of the Prison Service".
At a press conference earlier, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced that Israel and Hamas had reached a deal on exchanging hostages and prisoners and establishing sustainable calm, aiming for a permanent ceasefire. Implementation of the agreement is set to begin on Sunday, Jan. 19, with Hamas releasing 33 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during the first phase. Details of subsequent phases will be revealed later.
"We advise the inhabitants to take precaution, exercise the utmost caution, and wait for directions from official sources," Qatar's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said in a post on social media platform X.
