Hamas likely to demand release of six arch-terrorists

In prior negotiation rounds, Hamas demanded the release of Nukhba terrorists as part of any prisoner exchange.

By JFeed and World Israel News

They orchestrated the deadliest terror attacks of the 1990s and the Second Intifada, and now, their names are once again expected to surface.

If the hostage deal proceeds, 250 life-sentence prisoners with blood on their hands and over 1,700 Gazans detained since October 7th will be released from Israeli prisons.

Hamas is expected to demand the release of “heavyweight” terrorists who were sentenced to dozens of life sentences and are considered extremely dangerous, per Channel 12.

Key Figures on the List

1. Marwan Barghouti

Barghouti, the arch-terrorist, was sentenced to 5 life sentences and 40 years in prison for his responsibility in the murder of five Israelis during the Second Intifada. He has established himself within the Palestinian political system, and many younger Palestinians view him as a symbol.
Between 1976 and 1978, he was a member of the Palestinian Communist Party. In 1978, he was sentenced to four years in prison for involvement in terror activities. While incarcerated, he joined Fatah and learned Hebrew. During the First Intifada, he led massive rallies against Israeli rule in Judea and Samaria. Due to the uprising, he was arrested and deported to Jordan in 1987, where he began operating from Fatah’s offices. There, he was responsible for directing Fatah activities in the West Bank and among local institutions of higher education.

Following the outbreak of the Second Intifada, he openly supported advancing the armed struggle against Israel and was considered one of the symbolic and central leaders of Fatah during the events. Additionally, he led the Tanzim, Fatah’s armed wing responsible for numerous attacks against Israelis. While imprisoned, he completed his doctorate on the function of the Palestinian Legislative Council from Cairo University.

2. Abdallah Barghouti

Barghouti, 53, is nicknamed the Hamas Engineer. He is an explosives expert who served as one of the military wing commanders of the terror group in Judea and Samaria. Barghouti is responsible for dozens of terror operations and attacks against Israelis in which 66 people were murdered and about 500 were wounded, including the bombing at the Sbarro restaurant in Jerusalem in 2001 and the Cafe Moment bombing in 2002.

Barghouti was arrested in March 2003 and sentenced to 67 life sentences, making him the Palestinian prisoner with the highest number of life sentences ever. In 2009, his name came up as a candidate for release in the Shalit deal, but due to Israeli opposition, he was not included in the deal signed in October 2011.

3. Ibrahim Hamed

Ibrahim Hamed, 60, is defined as the most dangerous prisoner in Israeli jails today. He commanded Hamas’s military wing in Judea and Samaria during the Second Intifada. He planned and organized dozens of attacks against Israelis, many of which were suicide bombings. Among others, he planned the bombings at Cafe Moment, which killed 11 Israelis and wounded 65; the Sheffield Club in Rishon LeZion in 2002, which killed 15 Israelis and wounded 57; and the Hebrew University bombing in the same year, where 9 people were killed and about 100 were wounded.

The manhunt for Hamed was difficult until his arrest on June 27, 2012. He was convicted of murdering 46 Israelis and wounding over 400 others. He was sentenced to 54 life sentences and Israel also refused to release him in the Shalit deal.

4. Ahmed Sa’adat

Ahmed Sa’adat, 72, is considered a symbol. He served as the Secretary-General of the Popular Front (PFLP) and initiated the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001 at a Jerusalem hotel. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

5. Abbas al-Sayyid

Abbas al-Sayyid was the commander of Hamas’s military wing in Tulkarm. He is the terrorist most identified with the bombing at the Park Hotel in Netanya in 2002 and is responsible for the murder of dozens of Israelis. He was sentenced to 35 life sentences.

6. Hasan Salameh

Hasan Salameh, a senior member of Hamas’s military wing, led the suicide bombings carried out by Hamas in revenge for the assassination of Yahya Ayyash. He was one of the planners of two bombings on Bus Line 18 in Jerusalem, which killed 45 Israelis, and the 1996 Ashkelon Junction bombing at a hitchhiking post, which killed IDF soldier Hofit Aish and wounded 36 people. He was sentenced to 46 life sentences.

In 2023, he published the book The Buses Are Burning, which he wrote from inside the prison walls, focusing on various attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists in Israel in the past. It was released in Gaza on the anniversary of Yahya Ayyash’s assassination at a celebratory event held by the terror organization.

Will the Nukhba Terrorists Be Released?

Under the Trump Plan framework, Israel would release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and approximately 1,700 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after October 7, in exchange for the return of Israeli hostages.

The framework does not specify the inclusion of Nukhba operatives—members of Hamas’ elite commando unit responsible for leading the October 7 attacks.

In prior negotiation rounds, Hamas demanded the release of Nukhba terrorists as part of any prisoner exchange.

Israeli officials have consistently rejected those demands, maintaining that individuals directly involved in the massacre will not be eligible for release.

Security experts warn that the release of senior Hamas operatives could significantly strengthen the organization’s leadership and operational capabilities. Israel’s security establishment has emphasized that many of these prisoners hold command roles within Hamas and could quickly reconstitute the group’s hierarchy if freed.

Despite these concerns, Israel faces mounting international pressure to finalize a deal that would secure the release of the remaining hostages.

Officials acknowledge that the balance between humanitarian considerations and national security remains one of the most complex challenges in the ongoing negotiations.