News- Middle East: Palestinian attorneys have found that only 63 of the 250 Palestinian prisoners slated for release by Israel are Hamas members.

According to a review conducted by the attorneys, among the 63 Hamas members, 18 are serving life terms, 26 are detainees, and 16 are serving shorter sentences.

Among the 191 prisoners serving life sentences, 18 are Hamas members, 150 are members of the Palestinian Fatah movement, and 23 are members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Islamic Jihad.

Authorities in Israel and Gaza prepare for a large-scale exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners ahead of Monday’s deadline.

Under the terms of the first phase of the agreement, brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, Hamas is required to release all living Israeli captives within 72 hours of the deal’s signing — a deadline that expires at noon local time on Monday.

The Palestinian group is believed to be holding 48 captives, 20 of whom are thought to be alive.

An international task force has been formed to locate the remains of deceased captives, many of whom are believed to be buried under rubble across the Gaza Strip.

Israel has also claimed it was set to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, the majority of whom will be sent to Gaza or exiled to neighboring countries, though the exact timing of their release has not yet been confirmed.

In Gaza, Dr. Munir al-Barsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health, said hospitals are preparing to receive the freed detainees for immediate medical assessment.

“We are preparing to receive around 1,900 Palestinian detainees to be released today, Sunday, as part of the prisoner exchange deal,” he said.

Al-Barsh said that despite critical shortages in medical supplies, Gaza’s hospitals, including Nasser Medical Complex, will provide treatment upon the prisoners' return.

According to him, many prisoners suffer from skin diseases such as scabies due to harsh 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 said, reiterating calls for the release of detained doctors, who were abducted by Israeli forces.

A report on Saturday said that Israel blocked the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, and Dr. Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals in Gaza.

Al-Barsh said that following the ceasefire agreement, Gaza health officials “aim to restore at least the minimum level of health services in the Strip.”

“Medical teams continue to assess the overall situation and record the extent of damage to hospitals and medical centers.”

According to classified Israeli military data, nearly 75 percent of Palestinians abducted by Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip are civilians, the Guardian reported in early September.

According to the records, as of May, Israel had detained more than 6,000 Palestinians under its “unlawful combatants” law, which allows indefinite detention without charge or trial.

The majority of those held are civilians - including professionals such as doctors, teachers, writers, and civil servants - as well as children and individuals suffering from chronic illnesses or disabilities, the documents showed.

The ceasefire deal, put forward by US President Donald Trump, is expected to halt Israel’s hostilities as mediators push both sides to fulfill the first phase of the agreement.

Increased amounts of humanitarian aid are also expected to enter the Strip. As of Friday, about 600 aid trucks were scheduled to cross into Gaza daily.

If completed, the first phase of Trump’s 20-point plan will be followed by negotiations on the details of subsequent phases.

Hamas said on Saturday that it was working to remove any pretexts that could allow the Israeli regime to violate the ceasefire’s terms. 

Source: Press TV