Palestinian prisoners to be released in return for hostages from Gaza. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, File)

Israel is set to release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including several serving multiple life sentences for deadly terror attacks and murder, in return for 33 Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip during the first, 42-day phase of its deal with Hamas, according to a government decision made early Saturday morning.

The government approved the hostage and ceasefire deal after an eight-hour full cabinet meeting.

Among the Palestinians to go free are 737 jailed detainees and security prisoners, some of whom are serving life sentences for murder.

They include members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah movement, along with women and children being held in Israeli jails. Some prisoners were released in 2011 in return for captive soldier Gilad Shalit later and re-arrested.

The Justice Ministry had, as of Saturday morning, published the names of 735 Palestinian prisoners to allow petitions against their release to be submitted to the High Court.

Israel will also be releasing 1,167 Palestinians detained in the Gaza Strip during the IDF’s ground offensive, who did not participate in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre in southern Israel.

The numbers could fluctuate depending on how many of the 33 hostages are alive. Hamas has not yet provided the information, although Israel believes that most of them are.

On Sunday, the first three female hostages from the 33 humanitarian cases — a category made up of women, children, elderly individuals, and the infirm — are set to be released.

Palestinian prisoners to be released in return for hostages from Gaza. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, File)

Israel is set to release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including several serving multiple life sentences for deadly terror attacks and murder, in return for 33 Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip during the first, 42-day phase of its deal with Hamas, according to a government decision made early Saturday morning.

The government approved the hostage and ceasefire deal after an eight-hour full cabinet meeting.

Among the Palestinians to go free are 737 jailed detainees and security prisoners, some of whom are serving life sentences for murder.

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They include members of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah movement, along with women and children being held in Israeli jails. Some prisoners were released in 2011 in return for captive soldier Gilad Shalit later and re-arrested.

The Justice Ministry had, as of Saturday morning, published the names of 735 Palestinian prisoners to allow petitions against their release to be submitted to the High Court.

Israel will also be releasing 1,167 Palestinians detained in the Gaza Strip during the IDF’s ground offensive, who did not participate in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre in southern Israel.

Palestinian suspects are detained by the IDF in the Gaza Strip, in a handout image published by the IDF on December 11, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

The numbers could fluctuate depending on how many of the 33 hostages are alive. Hamas has not yet provided the information, although Israel believes that most of them are.

On Sunday, the first three female hostages from the 33 humanitarian cases — a category made up of women, children, elderly individuals, and the infirm — are set to be released.

The other 30 hostages on the list are to be released each Saturday until the end of the deal’s 42-day first phase — four on January 25, and then three each week until a final group of 14.

The hostages will be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners detailed in the terms of the deal.