AhlulBayt News Agency: Palestinian attorneys have revealed that only 63 of the 250 Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release by Israel are affiliated with Hamas.
Their review found that among the 63 Hamas members, 18 are serving life sentences, 26 are detainees, and 16 are serving shorter prison terms.
Of the 191 prisoners serving life sentences, 18 belong to Hamas, 150 are members of the Fatah movement, and 23 are affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Islamic Jihad.
Authorities in both Israel and Gaza are preparing for a large-scale exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Under the first phase of the agreement brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, Hamas is required to release all living Israeli captives within 72 hours of signing the deal — a deadline that expires at noon on Monday.
Hamas is believed to be holding 48 captives, with 20 of them presumed to be alive.
An international task force has been assembled to locate the remains of deceased captives, many of whom are thought to be buried beneath rubble across the Gaza Strip.
Israel has stated it will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, most of whom will be sent to Gaza or exiled to neighboring countries, although the exact timing remains unclear.
In Gaza, Dr. Munir al-Barsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health, announced that hospitals are preparing to receive the released detainees for immediate medical evaluation.
“We are preparing to receive around 1,900 Palestinian detainees to be released today, Sunday, as part of the prisoner exchange deal,” he said.
Despite severe shortages in medical supplies, al-Barsh affirmed that Gaza’s hospitals, including Nasser Medical Complex, will provide necessary treatment upon the prisoners’ arrival.
He noted that many detainees suffer from skin conditions such as scabies due to poor detention conditions.
“We are also preparing to receive the bodies of several martyrs, and we hope that among them will be the remains of our medical staff,” he added, renewing calls for the release of detained doctors abducted by Israeli forces.
A report on Saturday stated that Israel blocked the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, and Dr. Marwan al-Hams, head of Gaza’s field hospitals.
Al-Barsh emphasized that following the ceasefire, Gaza’s health authorities aim to restore at least a basic level of medical services in the Strip.
“Medical teams continue to assess the overall situation and document the extent of damage to hospitals and health centers.”
According to classified Israeli military data cited by The Guardian in early September, nearly 75% of Palestinians abducted from Gaza by Israeli forces are civilians.
As of May, Israel had detained over 6,000 Palestinians under its “unlawful combatants” law, which permits indefinite detention without formal charges or trial.
The majority of those detained are civilians, including professionals such as doctors, teachers, writers, civil servants, children, and individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities. /129
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