The initial stage of a potential deal could entail the release of 1,248 terrorists, according to Qadura Fares.

(Jan. 13, 2025 / JNS)

A PLO official who reportedly traveled to Doha to prepare the lists of Palestinians to be released as part of a potential Israel-Hamas truce deal has claimed that Jerusalem has agreed to free thousands of terrorists.

Qadura Fares, whom Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas promoted to the rank of minister in 2023 to head the PLO division that advocates on behalf of terrorists jailed in the Jewish state, traveled to Qatar to meet with the negotiating team, a P.A. source told Ynet on Monday.

On Sunday, Fares claimed that the initial stage of a potential ceasefire deal with Hamas could entail the freeing of 25 Israeli captives in exchange for 1,248 Palestinian security prisoners, including 200 serving life sentences.

All of the released terrorists would be allowed to return to their homes in eastern Jerusalem, Gaza, Judea and Samaria, except those serving life sentences, who are expected to be exiled to Qatar, Egypt or Turkey, he said.

The Hamas terrorist organization is holding 98 hostages in the Gaza Strip, 94 of whom were kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, and four of whom were captured in 2014, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. Thirty-six of the hostages are deceased, including two from 2014 (Israeli Defense Forces Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul).

According to an outline published by Saudi outlet Al Arabiya, under the terms of the phased agreement, Jerusalem is to withdraw from specific areas of Gaza over 42 days, increase humanitarian aid and eventually withdraw fully from the Strip. The agreement also includes the release of 50 Palestinian terrorists serving life sentences and the exchange of 50 “female prisoners” for each female IDF soldier released by Hamas.

An official briefed on the talks told Reuters on Monday that mediator Qatar has handed Israel and Hamas a “final” draft. A breakthrough was reached in Doha after midnight following talks between Israeli officials, President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy and Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the official said.

An unnamed Israeli official on Monday afternoon issued a denial of the Reuters claim that Qatar had provided Jerusalem with a draft proposal.

Israel’s Religious Zionist Party, which is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, earlier on Monday said in a statement that it would not support a deal that “leaves many of the hostages in Gaza, and that releases terrorists with blood on their hands.”

“Israel must continue its military pressure and unleash hell on Gaza until Hamas is defeated and all of the hostages are returned,” the party said.