Israeli government reveals Palestinian detainees set to be released will be deported outside of country
Date
1/19/2025 6:53:45 AM
(MENAFN) In a move that aligns with expectations, the Israeli government revealed that a portion of the Palestinian detainees set to be released in the prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement will be deported outside of the country, allegedly to minimize security concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the matter on Saturday, explaining that detainees accused of killing or causing the deaths of Israelis, whom he referred to as “killers,” would not be returned to the West Bank. Instead, they would be sent either to Gaza or outside the country.
The Israeli Ministry of Justice published a list on Saturday with 735 Palestinian detainees to be freed as part of the exchange, noting that over 180 of them would be deported abroad. While the exchange agreement does not specify the countries to which these detainees would be deported, Israeli media reported that they would likely be sent to other nations. Gaza detainees will return to the Strip after their release, according to the agreement. Most of those accused of killing Israelis are expected to be permanently deported.
Notable names on the list include Nael Barghouti, who has spent over 45 years in Israeli prisons, Othman Bilal, a commander of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, who spent over 31 years in prison, and Bilal Ghanem, who was involved in a 2015 shooting in Jerusalem. Also on the list is Hamas leader Abdel Nasser Issa, who has been imprisoned for more than 30 years. Other prominent detainees include former Palestinian Legislative Council member Khalida Jarrar and Zakaria Zubeidi, one of the escapees from the 2021 Gilboa prison break. However, they are not expected to be deported. Israel claims that deporting the prisoners after their release is a measure aimed at reducing the "security risks" these detainees could pose if returned to the West Bank.
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