Eight Palestinians freed by Israel to be deported: Egyptian media
Cairo: The Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing received on Saturday eight Palestinian prisoners set for deportation after being released by Israel as part of the ongoing ceasefire deal with Hamas, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News TV channel reported.
An Egyptian source, who required anonymity, told Xinhua that the released Palestinians, convicted of murder by Israel, will be deported to Turkiye, Qatar, Algeria, and Tunisia, after being transferred to Cairo.
The source explained that Egypt would serve as a transit point for these released Palestinian prisoners until their departure to other countries. The decision on their destinations is coordinated with Israel, which required the deportation of Palestinian murder convicts, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to a report by the Times of Israel on Wednesday, 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, including 70 prisoners released last week, who are now in Cairo.
Egyptian authorities are ramping up preparations to receive more prisoners at the Rafah crossing, the source added. Earlier in the day, 50 patients from Gaza crossed into Egypt through Rafah, the only link between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt.
Meanwhile, for the first time in eight months, 50 wounded Palestinians and patients were allowed to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing for treatment in Egypt, under the supervision of the World Health Organization (WHO).
On Saturday, Egypt announced the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which had been closed since May 2024 when Israel took control of the Palestinian side.
Patients gathered at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis before being transported to the crossing, with critical cases evacuated by Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances.
Mohammed Zaqout, director general of hospitals in Gaza, told Xinhua that more than 6,000 wounded and sick Palestinians require urgent treatment, with 12,000 in need of care abroad.
Israeli media outlets reported that the Israeli army withdrew from the Rafah crossing on Friday, handing control to international forces, and approved the list of patients permitted to leave.