60 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel to be deported to Turkiye, Qatar, Malaysia, Pakistan: Official
Ramallah: A Palestinian official announced that 60 Palestinian prisoners, released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal and currently in Egypt, will be deported to Turkiye, Qatar, Malaysia, and Pakistan.
Abdullah Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, said each of the four countries would host 15 Palestinian prisoners, adding that there are currently 70 Palestinian prisoners staying in a hotel in the New Administrative Capital of Egypt, pending deportation, Xinhua news agency reported.
Zaghari mentioned that discussions are ongoing with other countries to secure hosting for the remaining prisoners, and talks are also in progress with Cairo to accommodate some of those who may be released in future batches.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US, acting as mediators, announced in a joint statement on January 15 that Hamas and Israel had reached a ceasefire agreement that includes the exchange of prisoners and hostages, aiming for sustained calm and a permanent ceasefire between the two sides.
Since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, Hamas has released 18 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons.
According to a recent report by the Times of Israel, Israel demanded that Palestinians convicted of the most serious crimes not be released to the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. Egypt agreed to temporarily host these individuals.
Earlier on Saturday Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners in the fourth prisoner-for-hostage swap under the ongoing truce deal with Hamas, according to Palestinian sources.
Abdullah Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, told Xinhua that Israeli authorities handed the released prisoners over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Of the freed prisoners, 150 were from the Gaza Strip, 32 from the West Bank, and the remaining one, who holds Egyptian citizenship, will be returned to Egypt.