Fri Mar 07 15:55:48 UTC 2025: ## Hamas Calls on Trump to Meet Freed Palestinian Prisoners

**Gaza City, March 7, 2025** – Hamas is urging U.S. President Donald Trump to meet with Palestinian prisoners released as part of the ongoing Gaza truce, following his meeting with freed Israeli hostages. In an open letter, senior Hamas leader Basem Naim called on President Trump to show the same respect to Palestinian prisoners as he did to the Israeli hostages, emphasizing the importance of hearing their stories. Naim highlighted that over 9,500 Palestinian prisoners remain in Israeli jails.

This request follows President Trump’s Thursday meeting with eight former Israeli hostages released under the January 19th truce agreement. The first phase of the agreement saw the release of 33 hostages (including eight deceased) in exchange for approximately 1,800 Palestinian detainees. A previous truce in November 2023 resulted in the release of 105 hostages for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

While 58 hostages remain in Gaza, 34 are declared dead by the Israeli military, out of the 251 initially abducted during Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The conflict has resulted in a devastating loss of life, with official figures reporting 1,218 deaths in Israel (mostly civilians) and at least 48,446 deaths in Gaza (mostly civilians) according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures considered reliable by the United Nations.

Read More