Tipsheet

Meet Some of the Terrorists Released in Exchange for Hostages

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  October 13, 2025 11:30 AM

While there was widespread jubilation around the world over the release of all living hostages held by Hamas, the stark reality is that this outcome came at a steep cost. Under the terms of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, Israel was required to release 250 prisoners serving life sentences, along with 1,700 Gazans detained following the October 7, 2023, attack.

On Monday, Israel began releasing information about some of these terrorists in a lengthy thread on X, inviting followers to "meet some of the world's worst people."

Iyad Abu al-Rub

A senior commander of Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Jenin, he served as the head of the group’s military wing during the Second Intifada. He was convicted for orchestrating a series of deadly suicide bombings in Israel that killed at least seven people between 2003 and 2005, including: 

A suicide bombing in Sde Trumot near Beit She’an (June 19, 2003) 

A suicide bombing at the Hadera market (October 26, 2005)

He was also charged with planning additional suicide attacks — including one from a school inYokne’am — and with opening fire on IDF forces on multiple occasions.Today, he was released as part of the hostage deal.

Imad Qawasmeh

A senior Hamas commander from Hebron, he was arrested in 2004 by Israeli special forces for directing two suicide bombers who carried out the twin bus bombings in Beersheba on August 31, 2004, killing 16 Israelis and injuring over 100.

He was convicted by an Israeli military court of murder, membership in a terrorist organization, and weapons trafficking, and sentenced to 16 life terms.

Riyad Al-Amour

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A senior Fatah–Tanzim commander from Taqoua near Bethlehem, he was serving 11 lifesentences for leading terror cells that carried out shooting and kidnapping attacks between 2000 and 2002, killing nine Israelis — civilians and soldiers.

His cell was responsible for the murders of IDF soldiers — Staff Sgt. Max Hazan, Lt. DavidChen Cohen, Staff Sgt. Shlomo Adeshina, and Staff Sgt. Danny Drai — and of Israeli civilians Avraham Fish, Aharon Gurovitz, and Deborah Fridman.

He was also convicted for the 2001 kidnapping and murder of IDF officer Lt. Col. Yehuda Edri and for the abduction and murder of Israeli civilian Avi Boaz near the Beit Jala checkpoint in 2002.

Ismail Hamdan

A Fatah terrorist from the Bethlehem area, he was imprisoned for involvement in multipleattacks in the early 2000s in which Israelis were murdered.

These included the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Avi Boaz at the Beit Jala checkpoint and the 2002 shooting attack on the Tunnels Road in Jerusalem that killed Deborah Fridman.

Bakr Badr

A Hamas terrorist from Beit Liqya, imprisoned for his role in a Hamas terror cell that carried out deadly attacks during the Second Intifada, including: 

A 2003 suicide bombing near the Tzrifin army base that killed nine Israelis. 

A 2004 bus stop bombing in Tel Aviv that killed one Israeli.

Abdul Jawad Shamasneh

Hamas terrorist serving life for 4 murders, including the 1990 killing of 2 Jerusalem teens, a taxi driver and an IDF soldier.

 These included the 1990 kidnapping and murder of teenagers Ronen Karamani and Lior Tubul from Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood, the 1990 murder of taxi driver Rafi Doron, and the 1993 killing of IDF soldier Yehoshua Friedberg.

Nasri Ayed Hassin Amassi

A Hamas terrorist from Beit Hanina in Eastern Jerusalem (holder of an Israeli ID card), he is serving a life sentence for his role in a Hamas cell that carried out major attacks in the early 2000s.

These included the 2003 Tzrifin bombing that killed nine IDF soldiers — Liron Siboni, Yaakov Ben Shabbat, Chaim Alfasi, Yonatan Peleg, Efrat Schwartzman, Mazi Grego, Prosper Twito, Yael Kfir and Felix Nikolaichuk — and the Café Hillel suicide bombing in Jerusalem that killed seven civilians, including Dr. David and Nava Applebaum. He also took part in a 2004 Tel Aviv bombing that killed soldier Maayan Naim.

Samir Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu Nima

An Islamic Jihad terrorist from Abu Dis, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for carrying out a 1983 bus bombing in Jerusalem that killed six Israeli civilians — Esther Ido, Nurit Peleg Mizrahi, Esther Peleg Mizrahi, Slav Demsky, Yehuda Kaklan, and Shoshana Zussman Galanti — and injured 46 others.

He was also involved in transferring weapons to attack cells and planning to booby-trap a gas truck in Jerusalem.

Ahmad Adel Jaber Saada

A Hamas terrorist from Eastern Jerusalem (holder of an Israeli ID card), he was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in a Hamas cell in Bethlehem that carried out deadly attacks in the early 2000s.

He took part in the November 21, 2002 suicide bombing in Jerusalem, which killed 11 Israelis and injured dozens more, assisting the bomber and driving him to the attack site.

Mohammed Shamasneh

Hamas terrorist serving life for 4 murders, including the 1990 killing of 2 Jerusalem teens, a taxi driver and an IDF soldier.

These included the 1990 kidnapping and murder of teenagers Ronen Karamani and Lior Tubul from Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood, the 1990 murder of taxi driver Rafi Doron, and the 1993 killing of IDF soldier Yehoshua Friedberg.

Ayham Kamamgi

A Fatah terrorist from the village of Dan, he was serving two life sentences for his role in the 2006 kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenager Eliyahu Asheri near Ramallah. In 2021, Kamamgi was among the six prisoners who escaped from Gilboa Prison before being recaptured.

According to the deal's terms, Israel was only to release the prisoners once Hamas gave up all hostages, both living and deceased, which at the time of writing has not happened. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the terror group that failure to return all 28 bodies would be considered a gross violation of the agreement and warrant an appropriate response.