This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – With the release of the first three hostages on Sunday – named as Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbracher, all of whom are women – thoughts inevitably turn to just how much is being demanded in return with the potential release of more than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners, including more than 700 convicted murdrerers, if all the phases of the deal were to be completed.
As with the deal which secured the release of IDF soldier Gilad Schalit in 2011 – during which Israel's current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also in charge – there seems to be a distinct imbalance as to the price Israel is being asked to pay. It must be remembered, the psychopathic former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded and orchestrated the Oct. 7 attacks – and who was imprisoned for killing Palestinians – was let out during that agreement. Despite the fact he was thankfully killed in October during a routine IDF operation in Gaza, the potential parallels are too stark to be overlooked.
And people should be under no illusions that any of these people are reformed characters. Indeed, one of Hamas' leaders Khalil al-Hayya, praised the Oct. 7 attacks, while threatening a repeat of them, which seems a strange thing to do for a people who were reportedly the victims of a genocide.
This rogues' gallery includes the likes of the following:
Ahmad Barghouti, a close aide and cousin of Marwan Barghouti, sentenced to 13 life terms for leading a "murder machine" that carried out attacks in which 12 Israelis were killed, including the suicide bombing at the Seafood Market restaurant in Tel Aviv.
Wael Qassem (head of the cell), Wassam Abbasi, Mohammed Odeh, members of Hamas's "Silwan Cell," responsible for attacks which killed 35 Israelis, including the bombing at Café Moment in Jerusalem where 11 Israelis were killed, the attack at the Spaghettim Club in Rishon LeZion where 15 Israelis were killed, and the bombing at the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria at the Hebrew University where 9 Israelis were killed.
Zakaria Zubeidi is a former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Jenin, responsible for a series of attacks, including the attack at the Likud branch in Beit She'an where 6 Israelis were killed. He was also one of the terrorists who escaped from Gilboa Prison in 2021. Since he was not convicted of murder but other offenses, Zubeidi will not be deported abroad and is expected to be released back to Judea and Samaria.
Abdullah Sharabati, Majdi Zaatari, and Samer Alatrash, members of the cell responsible for a series of attacks on bus lines 2 and 14 in Jerusalem in 2003, one of which killed 23 Israelis, including 7 children, and carried out the suicide bombing on line 6 in the French Hill where seven Israelis were killed and 20 were injured. They planned a long series of additional attacks.
Mohammed Amoudi, who dispatched the suicide bomber for the attack at the "Mayor's Shawarma" stand in Tel Aviv in 2006, killing 11 people.
Mohammed Abu Warda, who sent the suicide bombers for the attacks on line 18 in Jerusalem in 1996, attacks in which 45 Israelis were killed. He is serving 48 life sentences in an Israeli prison.
