Gaza war: Palestinian prisoners will be a key condition of any ceasefire deal – here’s why

By Julie M Norman, Senior Associate Fellow on the Middle East at RUSI; Associate Professor in Politics & International Relations; Deputy Director of the Centre on US Politics, UCL

As Israel and Hamas inch closer to a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, one of the key sticking points has been the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for Israeli hostages, of which about 130 are still being held – although some are thought to have died.

Why is the prisoners’ ratio so crucial in the current negotiations?…

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