As part of the ongoing negotiations for a hostage deal, Hamas has submitted a list of Palestinian prisoners it demands to have released from Israeli prisons. At this stage, it's unclear who will be released under the pending agreement, but Hamas is demanding the release of senior terrorists serving life sentences.
Convicted terrorist freed from jail in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange
According to an unverified Saudi report, Hamas also demanded the inclusion of the body of its assassinated leader, Yahya Sinwar, in the deal. However, an Israeli source said that "this won’t happen."
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Abdullah Barghouti, Marwan Barghouti, Ahmed Saadat
(Photo: Hagai Aharon, AP, Reuters)
While the terror group has requested a significant number of prisoners with blood on their hands who were sentenced to life imprisonment for murderous attacks, these are some of the most notorious prisoners Hamas is asking to be released:
Abdullah Barghouti: A Hamas terrorist who was one of the commanders of the organization's military wing in the West Bank. Barghouti is currently serving 67 life sentences, an unprecedented punishment in Israel. Hamas failed to secure his release in the Gilad Shalit release deal in 2011.
Marwan Barghouti: Served as the Fatah movement’s secretary-general in the West Bank and was arrested on April 15, 2002. Barghouti orchestrated terrorist attacks in which five Israelis were killed and many others injured. In 2004, he was sentenced to five consecutive life terms and an additional 40 years in prison.
Ahmed Saadat: secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the planner of the assassination of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001. Saadat is considered a popular and significant figure in Palestinian society. Israel refused to release him in the Shalit deal.
Ibrahim Hamed: Hamed was the "mastermind" behind 90% of suicide bombing attacks during the Second Intifada between 2000 and 2005. He served as the commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades in the West Bank at the time. In his role, he planned and organized numerous attacks against Israelis, including severe suicide bombings. He has been wanted by Israeli security forces since 1998.
Abbas al-Sayyed: The principal planner of the 2002 Passover massacre in Netanya. He was sentenced to 35 life terms for the murder of Israelis. Al-Sayyid was Hamas's leader in Tulkarm at the outbreak of the Second Intifada.
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Hamas’ list also includes five of the six prisoners who escaped from Gilboa Prison. The sixth prisoner is Zakaria Zubeidi.