JERUSALEM: Israel will begin releasing Palestinian prisoners once it has confirmation that all hostages held in Gaza have arrived in the country.
Prime minister’s office spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told journalists on Sunday that Palestinian prisoners would be released once Israel confirms all hostages set for release are across the border.
“Palestinian prisoners will be released once Israel has confirmation that all of our hostages set to be released tomorrow are across the border into Israel,“ Bedrosian said.
During previous ceasefires, the remains of some hostages were identified by forensic experts after their return to Israel.
Bedrosian said that pending the identification, the Palestinian prisoners would be on buses ready to depart.
“As soon as we have confirmation that they (hostages) have entered Israeli territory, those buses will depart and begin their journey,“ she said.
The release of all hostages held in the Gaza Strip for more than two years was expected to begin early Monday morning.
Israel and Hamas have approved the first phase of a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Under the terms of the plan, Hamas is to release by Monday noon the remaining 47 hostages (living and dead) who were abducted on October 7, 2023.
Hamas is also expected to hand over the remains of a soldier killed in 2014 during a previous Gaza war.
During the last truce, the identification of deceased hostages was only confirmed after autopsies at Israel’s Abu Kabir Forensic Institute.
“We are expecting all 20 of our living hostages to be released together at one time to the Red Cross and transported among six to eight vehicles,“ Bedrosian said.
“The hostages will then be driven to forces inside of Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza and then transferred to the Reim base in southern Israel, where they will then reunite with their families.”
They will then be taken to one of three main hospitals for medical treatment.
“Ten hostages will be sent to Sheba Medical Center, five hostages at Beilinson, and five hostages will receive treatment at Ichilov,“ Bedrosian said.
As for the Palestinian prisoners to be released, 250 are security detainees, including many convicted of killing Israelis.
About 1,700 additional prisoners were detained by the Israeli military in Gaza after the war broke out. – AFP
