Jerusalem, Undefined (AFP)—Israel has announced that it will commence the release of Palestinian prisoners only after verifying that all hostages held in Gaza have safely entered Israeli territory. This statement was made by Shosh Bedrosian, a spokeswoman for the prime minister, during a press briefing on Sunday. Bedrosian emphasized that the release of prisoners would be contingent upon the confirmation of the hostages’ arrival, with buses already prepared to transport the detainees once the condition is met. The hostages, who have been held in the Gaza Strip for over two years, are expected to be released early Monday morning. This development is part of the first phase of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in Gaza that began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. According to the agreement, Hamas is required to release the remaining 47 hostages (both living and deceased) by Monday noon, along with the remains of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war. The identification of deceased hostages will be conducted by forensic experts at Israel’s Abu Kabir Forensic Institute. The living hostages will be transported by the Red Cross in six to eight vehicles to Israeli-controlled areas in Gaza, and then to the Reim base in southern Israel, where they will reunite with their families. Subsequently, they will be taken to one of three central Israeli hospitals—Sheba Medical Center, Beilinson, or Ichilov—for medical treatment. The Palestinian prisoners set for release include 250 security detainees, many of whom were convicted of killing Israelis, and approximately 1,700 individuals detained by the Israeli military in Gaza after the war began.
Palestinian prisoners to be freed after all Gaza hostages confirmed to be in Israel
