14 oct 2011
Hamas: Barghouti part of prisoner exchange until 'last minute'

Palestinian officials on Thursday jousted over the terms of a prisoner exchange deal agreed between Hamas and Israel.
Israel is set to free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the release of Israeli solider Gilad Shalit who is captivity in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
But many prominent figures in Israeli jail were left out of the deal, and some 200 of those freed will not be able to return to their homes.
On Thursday, sources close to Hamas told Ma'an that Israel reneged on an agreement to release charismatic Fatah leader Marwan Bargouti "at the last minute."
Barghouti was part of the release deal "since the beginning of the negotiations," they insisted, until the final exchange terms were concluded on Tuesday.
PFLP secretary-general Ahmad Saadat and commanders in Hamas's armed wing Abdullah Barghouthi and Ibrahim Hamed will also remain behind bars.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, who analysts say has been sidelined by the deal, said Thursday that it was disappointed that the agreement allowed 40 detainees to be exiled overseas and another 163 sent to Gaza.
In an interview with France 24 television, PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki called into question the timing of the swap, suggesting Hamas and Israel might have collaborated to embarrass the West Bank government.
Long rivals, Hamas and Fatah reached a reconciliation deal in May to end four years of bitter rivalry in which the parties have overseen parallel administrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
As implementation of the agreement remains under discussion months later, the two factions are vying for popular support among Palestinians.
Malki told France 24 the PA is "happy" prisoners will be released, but "very much disappointed" that prisoners from the West Bank will be deported to Gaza, and others abroad.
"We are very much disappointed in this part of the deal because we don't want to see any Palestinian being deported from his own territory by a decision taken by his own people," Malki said.
"In this case Hamas has taken a decision to agree on the deportation of so many people outside their homes in the West Bank and outside of their homes in Palestine as a whole," he said.
Malki said he suspected the long-awaited the deal was designed to steal the limelight of a popular campaign to secure full UN membership, championed by President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas.
"What I want to focus here is on the timing," he added, alleging that the deal was linked to Abbas' demand that the United Nations recognize Palestine as a state.
"Of course, when the popularity of President Abbas has been rising that high after his speech in the General Assembly delivering our application, one has to question the timing," he said.
"Is it really intended to boost the popularity of the Israeli government and Hamas vis-a-vis the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas? That's a really legitimate question to be asked," he said.
The prisoners' release is a hugely popular and emotive issue among Palestinians, with families eagerly awaiting the final list of names of detainees to be freed.
Thousands of Gaza residents rallied in the coastal enclave on Tuesday to celebrate news of the deal.
Almagor Association: We will petition court over Shalit deal
The Almagor Terror Victims Association has announced that it intends to file a petition before the High Court of Justice on Friday, against the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the return of Gilad Shalit.
The Director General of the association, Meir Indor told Ynet: "This deal is worse than all the previous deals as it doesn't focus on political issues but ethical ones which is why we will ask the High Court to deliberate over the issue. The entire move was made on the sly and our initial demand is to give us time to get organized. The deal must be postponed otherwise the complaints will only be submitted after the terrorists are released.
Report: Israel promised not to hurt released Shalit deal prisoners
Israel demanded an assurance from Hamas that it would not abduct Israeli soldiers in the future as part of the Shalit deal but Hamas refused to consent to the demand, the al-Hayat newspaper reported on Friday.
According to reports from "reliable sources" Hamas decided to take whatever steps necessary to bring about the release of the rest of the prisoners in Israeli jails and that the organization is expecting the closure on Gaza to be relieved in stages after the deal is complete. It was also reported that senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan claimed that the deal includes a clearly stated Israeli pledge to not harm the released prisoners in any way.
Report: Turkey will host all exiled Palestinian prisoners
Turkey will take in the 40 Palestinian prisoners set for exile abroad as part of an exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, Turkish media reported on Friday.
Israel refused to deport the prisoners -- part of the first round of 450 set be released this week -- to Egypt, Lebanon or Syria, according to the report in Turkish daily Hurriyet.
Hamas and Israel agreed on Tuesday to exchange over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit.
Some 200 detainees will be exiled, 40 detainees overseas and 163 sent to Gaza.
The second phase of the prisoner release will be implemented after two months, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishiq said on Thursday.
In a statement published on his Facebook page, Rishiq listed criteria he said had been agreed with Israel for the next stage of releases, whose names will be selected by Israel.
Israel will free "prisoners serving time for patriotic acts rather than criminal acts," and not prisoners who have nearly completed jail terms, Rishiq said.
Freed detainees will have several years of their sentence remaining, and will all be allowed to return to their home towns, the Hamas official added.
Israel is set to free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the release of Israeli solider Gilad Shalit who is captivity in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
But many prominent figures in Israeli jail were left out of the deal, and some 200 of those freed will not be able to return to their homes.
On Thursday, sources close to Hamas told Ma'an that Israel reneged on an agreement to release charismatic Fatah leader Marwan Bargouti "at the last minute."
Barghouti was part of the release deal "since the beginning of the negotiations," they insisted, until the final exchange terms were concluded on Tuesday.
PFLP secretary-general Ahmad Saadat and commanders in Hamas's armed wing Abdullah Barghouthi and Ibrahim Hamed will also remain behind bars.
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, who analysts say has been sidelined by the deal, said Thursday that it was disappointed that the agreement allowed 40 detainees to be exiled overseas and another 163 sent to Gaza.
In an interview with France 24 television, PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki called into question the timing of the swap, suggesting Hamas and Israel might have collaborated to embarrass the West Bank government.
Long rivals, Hamas and Fatah reached a reconciliation deal in May to end four years of bitter rivalry in which the parties have overseen parallel administrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
As implementation of the agreement remains under discussion months later, the two factions are vying for popular support among Palestinians.
Malki told France 24 the PA is "happy" prisoners will be released, but "very much disappointed" that prisoners from the West Bank will be deported to Gaza, and others abroad.
"We are very much disappointed in this part of the deal because we don't want to see any Palestinian being deported from his own territory by a decision taken by his own people," Malki said.
"In this case Hamas has taken a decision to agree on the deportation of so many people outside their homes in the West Bank and outside of their homes in Palestine as a whole," he said.
Malki said he suspected the long-awaited the deal was designed to steal the limelight of a popular campaign to secure full UN membership, championed by President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas.
"What I want to focus here is on the timing," he added, alleging that the deal was linked to Abbas' demand that the United Nations recognize Palestine as a state.
"Of course, when the popularity of President Abbas has been rising that high after his speech in the General Assembly delivering our application, one has to question the timing," he said.
"Is it really intended to boost the popularity of the Israeli government and Hamas vis-a-vis the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas? That's a really legitimate question to be asked," he said.
The prisoners' release is a hugely popular and emotive issue among Palestinians, with families eagerly awaiting the final list of names of detainees to be freed.
Thousands of Gaza residents rallied in the coastal enclave on Tuesday to celebrate news of the deal.
Almagor Association: We will petition court over Shalit deal
The Almagor Terror Victims Association has announced that it intends to file a petition before the High Court of Justice on Friday, against the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the return of Gilad Shalit.
The Director General of the association, Meir Indor told Ynet: "This deal is worse than all the previous deals as it doesn't focus on political issues but ethical ones which is why we will ask the High Court to deliberate over the issue. The entire move was made on the sly and our initial demand is to give us time to get organized. The deal must be postponed otherwise the complaints will only be submitted after the terrorists are released.
Report: Israel promised not to hurt released Shalit deal prisoners
Israel demanded an assurance from Hamas that it would not abduct Israeli soldiers in the future as part of the Shalit deal but Hamas refused to consent to the demand, the al-Hayat newspaper reported on Friday.
According to reports from "reliable sources" Hamas decided to take whatever steps necessary to bring about the release of the rest of the prisoners in Israeli jails and that the organization is expecting the closure on Gaza to be relieved in stages after the deal is complete. It was also reported that senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan claimed that the deal includes a clearly stated Israeli pledge to not harm the released prisoners in any way.
Report: Turkey will host all exiled Palestinian prisoners
Turkey will take in the 40 Palestinian prisoners set for exile abroad as part of an exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, Turkish media reported on Friday.
Israel refused to deport the prisoners -- part of the first round of 450 set be released this week -- to Egypt, Lebanon or Syria, according to the report in Turkish daily Hurriyet.
Hamas and Israel agreed on Tuesday to exchange over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit.
Some 200 detainees will be exiled, 40 detainees overseas and 163 sent to Gaza.
The second phase of the prisoner release will be implemented after two months, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishiq said on Thursday.
In a statement published on his Facebook page, Rishiq listed criteria he said had been agreed with Israel for the next stage of releases, whose names will be selected by Israel.
Israel will free "prisoners serving time for patriotic acts rather than criminal acts," and not prisoners who have nearly completed jail terms, Rishiq said.
Freed detainees will have several years of their sentence remaining, and will all be allowed to return to their home towns, the Hamas official added.
Detained in the 70s - What Nael Barghouthi missed

When Israel arrested Nael Barghouthi, CDs, Windows and Walkmans had not been invented yet.
There was no World Wide Web, and a 23-year-old Steve Jobs had recently given his first TV interview. There was no such thing as DNA fingerprinting.
Hosni Mubarak's 30-year presidency had yet to begin. Moammar Gadhafi, however, was already ruling Libya.
The Berlin wall was still standing.
Osama Bin Laden was a newly-wed who would later fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan with the CIA-backed Mujaheddin.
Egyptian President Ahmad Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, John Lennon and Marvin Gaye were still alive.
The Bee Gees were number one.
Nael was 20 years old when he was detained in April 1978. Weeks away from his 54th birthday, he will be released -- with conditions -- back to his home in a village near Ramallah as part of a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel.
Over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners -- many of home have spent decades in Israeli jails, and some of whom have never been charged with any offense -- will be released in exchange for an Israeli tank gunner detained in Gaza since 2006.
After more than 12,000 days behind bars, Nael has spent more of his life in prison than free. Accused of being a Fatah operative, he is known as the dean of prisoners.
Nael's parents campaigned tirelessly for his release, but didn't live to see their son released.
When Nael was detained, South Africa was a land of Bantustans. The Group Areas Act had created whites-only settlements, and non-whites were forcibly removed from these areas. The Natives Consolidation Act was still in place, and non-whites needed a permit to enter whites-only areas. Pass Laws limited the movements of non-whites.
The Black Homeland Citizenship Act aimed to ensure a demographic majority of white people in South Africa. Popular uprisings were suppressed and armed resistance was illegal.
South African apartheid was dismantled during Nael's imprisonment, but the veteran prisoner will return to a West Bank fractured by a huge new wall and splintered by Israeli-only roads connecting dozens of new Jewish-only settlements.
In 2011, Israeli soldiers guard army checkpoints between Palestinian cities, and Palestinians must show ID cards to pass. Israeli leaders argue at the United Nations for the need to maintain a Jewish demographic majority.
On hearing of his imminent release, Nael told a Palestinian newspaper: "After 30 years of captivity, we are just soldiers returning to their bases."
Haneyya: Our joy will not be complete until all captives are released
The Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haneyya, said that feelings of joy over the release of captives will not be complete until all captives are released from Israeli occupation jails.
Haneyya said during his Friday sermon in which he also said farewell to pilgrims leaving for Makkah: "our joy and victory will not be complete until we liberate all our land and all our captives. Today [we free captives] and tomorrow Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque.”
He added that on Thursday Palestinian have a date for a national joyous occasion and a historic juncture when we receive our heroes who are returning from occupation jails.
Haneyya described the deal as a good deal that guaranteed the release of all female captives as well as 1000 others and helped reinforce the meanings of unity of Palestinian people and Palestinian geography. “The West Bank, Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, 1948- occupied Palestine and the Golan will all be united in celebrating the release of the captives in a deal that did cost a lot determination and steadfastness, especially from the people of the Gaza Strip.”
He called on the pilgrims to carry this message to the Ummah: “There are thousands more captives in occupation jails. Palestine is still under occupation, Jerusalem is under occupation, Gaza is under siege and the people are suffering.”
“Our message to the Ummah is lift the siege imposed on Gaza, do not forget Palestine, Jerusalem and the refugees who spent more than sixty years in exile."
Haniyeh: Gaza paid 'dear price' to free prisoners
Days ahead of a prisoner swap deal with Israel, the prime minister of the Palestinian government in Gaza said the people there paid a "dear price" to free detainees.
Ismail Haniyeh said Friday that "Our people today will harvest the fruit of one destination of Jihad and steadfastness.
"Gaza has paid a dear price of blood and martyrs and agonies in actions the occupation had carried under the slogan of freeing Shalit," Haniyeh told a crowd of worshipers before prayers in a Gaza City mosque.
"The great Palestinian people paid all that price in order to free the prisoners because we believe that the value of man is derived from the value of the homeland."
The prisoner swap set to take place on Oct. 18, over three years in the making, was finally brokered last week with Egyptian mediation between Israel and the Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.
Over 1,000 Palestinian detainees will be freed in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in 2006.
Some 450 Palestinian men and 27 women are due to be freed in the first phase of the swap, with Shalit expected to be handed over to Israel simultaneously. A further 550 Palestinians will be released in two months.
An official in the Popular Resistance Committee's military wing released a list of prisoners it says Israel agreed to free in exchange for Shalit. It has not been verified by Israel or Hamas.
Israel is set to publish the list of prisoners it will free late on Saturday. It has already said that almost 300 of them are men are serving life terms.
After the list is released on the Israel Prisons Authority web site, there will be a 48-hour period during which the Supreme Court can hear legal objections.
Families of the Israeli victims have said they will protest, but this is not expected to halt the swap, which has broad political and public support in Israel.
There are at least 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. They are regarded as heroes in their struggle against Israeli occupation and quest for statehood.
Radwan: Deported captives will return Gaza at a later date
Hamas senior official Ismail Radwan said on Friday that Palestinian captives who will be deported upon their release from Israeli occupation jails will be able to return to Gaza at a later stage.
Radwan stressed that the number of those to be deported does not exceed 5% of the total number of captives to be released and explained that the agreement was only signed after the concerned captives agreed to the measure.
Radwan, who was responding to criticism of the prisoner exchange deal by PA Foreign Minister Reyad al-Maliki, said that Maliki's statements were outside national context which welcomed this historic achievement.
Israeli official said that out 1027 captives who will be released, 40 will be deported abroad and 163 will be sent to the Gaza Strip.
Prisoner exchange to take place on Tuesday
An Israeli official from the office of Benyamin Netanyahu said on Friday that 450 Palestinian captives will be released next Tuesday and Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be released at the same time “if the agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas is respected.”
AFP quoted the official who preferred to remain anonymous that he hopes the time table in the agreement is respected and that Shalit returns to “his home” on Thursday.
Israeli radio also reported that the PM’s representative David Meidan will travel on Saturday to Cairo to agree the final details of the exchange process through Egyptian officials.
The Israeli prison service is expected to publish names of Palestinian captives who will be released to give Israeli individuals and organisations 48 hours to appeal against their release in Israeli courts.
In the past no Israeli court ruled against a prisoner exchange deal that was signed by the Israeli government but exchange cannot take place without going through this process, according to Israeli sources.
Captors of Shalit have been warned of increased drone activity
Israeli occupation drone activity have noticeably increased over the Gaza Strip since Thursday evening, despite the conclusion of a prisoner exchange deal, prompting concern that Israelis might have other intentions.
Quds Press quoted a source in Gaza as saying that drones do not leave the skies of Gaza and that they noticed the presence of more than one drone over a small area of Gaza City.
Those drones are able to send detailed pictures to Israeli occupation intelligence agents in operation rooms around the Gaza Strip.
A security source warned that the drones could be on a mission to foil the exchange at the last moment, by trying to discover where Gilad Shalit is being kept and carry out a rescue operation. The source urged Shalits captors not to relax their security measures, but to be extra vigilant.
He said that the remaining days and hours are the most difficult and that any carelessness on the part of Shalit’s captors could foil all their efforts for the past five years.
There was no World Wide Web, and a 23-year-old Steve Jobs had recently given his first TV interview. There was no such thing as DNA fingerprinting.
Hosni Mubarak's 30-year presidency had yet to begin. Moammar Gadhafi, however, was already ruling Libya.
The Berlin wall was still standing.
Osama Bin Laden was a newly-wed who would later fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan with the CIA-backed Mujaheddin.
Egyptian President Ahmad Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, John Lennon and Marvin Gaye were still alive.
The Bee Gees were number one.
Nael was 20 years old when he was detained in April 1978. Weeks away from his 54th birthday, he will be released -- with conditions -- back to his home in a village near Ramallah as part of a prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel.
Over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners -- many of home have spent decades in Israeli jails, and some of whom have never been charged with any offense -- will be released in exchange for an Israeli tank gunner detained in Gaza since 2006.
After more than 12,000 days behind bars, Nael has spent more of his life in prison than free. Accused of being a Fatah operative, he is known as the dean of prisoners.
Nael's parents campaigned tirelessly for his release, but didn't live to see their son released.
When Nael was detained, South Africa was a land of Bantustans. The Group Areas Act had created whites-only settlements, and non-whites were forcibly removed from these areas. The Natives Consolidation Act was still in place, and non-whites needed a permit to enter whites-only areas. Pass Laws limited the movements of non-whites.
The Black Homeland Citizenship Act aimed to ensure a demographic majority of white people in South Africa. Popular uprisings were suppressed and armed resistance was illegal.
South African apartheid was dismantled during Nael's imprisonment, but the veteran prisoner will return to a West Bank fractured by a huge new wall and splintered by Israeli-only roads connecting dozens of new Jewish-only settlements.
In 2011, Israeli soldiers guard army checkpoints between Palestinian cities, and Palestinians must show ID cards to pass. Israeli leaders argue at the United Nations for the need to maintain a Jewish demographic majority.
On hearing of his imminent release, Nael told a Palestinian newspaper: "After 30 years of captivity, we are just soldiers returning to their bases."
Haneyya: Our joy will not be complete until all captives are released
The Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haneyya, said that feelings of joy over the release of captives will not be complete until all captives are released from Israeli occupation jails.
Haneyya said during his Friday sermon in which he also said farewell to pilgrims leaving for Makkah: "our joy and victory will not be complete until we liberate all our land and all our captives. Today [we free captives] and tomorrow Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque.”
He added that on Thursday Palestinian have a date for a national joyous occasion and a historic juncture when we receive our heroes who are returning from occupation jails.
Haneyya described the deal as a good deal that guaranteed the release of all female captives as well as 1000 others and helped reinforce the meanings of unity of Palestinian people and Palestinian geography. “The West Bank, Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, 1948- occupied Palestine and the Golan will all be united in celebrating the release of the captives in a deal that did cost a lot determination and steadfastness, especially from the people of the Gaza Strip.”
He called on the pilgrims to carry this message to the Ummah: “There are thousands more captives in occupation jails. Palestine is still under occupation, Jerusalem is under occupation, Gaza is under siege and the people are suffering.”
“Our message to the Ummah is lift the siege imposed on Gaza, do not forget Palestine, Jerusalem and the refugees who spent more than sixty years in exile."
Haniyeh: Gaza paid 'dear price' to free prisoners
Days ahead of a prisoner swap deal with Israel, the prime minister of the Palestinian government in Gaza said the people there paid a "dear price" to free detainees.
Ismail Haniyeh said Friday that "Our people today will harvest the fruit of one destination of Jihad and steadfastness.
"Gaza has paid a dear price of blood and martyrs and agonies in actions the occupation had carried under the slogan of freeing Shalit," Haniyeh told a crowd of worshipers before prayers in a Gaza City mosque.
"The great Palestinian people paid all that price in order to free the prisoners because we believe that the value of man is derived from the value of the homeland."
The prisoner swap set to take place on Oct. 18, over three years in the making, was finally brokered last week with Egyptian mediation between Israel and the Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip.
Over 1,000 Palestinian detainees will be freed in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in 2006.
Some 450 Palestinian men and 27 women are due to be freed in the first phase of the swap, with Shalit expected to be handed over to Israel simultaneously. A further 550 Palestinians will be released in two months.
An official in the Popular Resistance Committee's military wing released a list of prisoners it says Israel agreed to free in exchange for Shalit. It has not been verified by Israel or Hamas.
Israel is set to publish the list of prisoners it will free late on Saturday. It has already said that almost 300 of them are men are serving life terms.
After the list is released on the Israel Prisons Authority web site, there will be a 48-hour period during which the Supreme Court can hear legal objections.
Families of the Israeli victims have said they will protest, but this is not expected to halt the swap, which has broad political and public support in Israel.
There are at least 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. They are regarded as heroes in their struggle against Israeli occupation and quest for statehood.
Radwan: Deported captives will return Gaza at a later date
Hamas senior official Ismail Radwan said on Friday that Palestinian captives who will be deported upon their release from Israeli occupation jails will be able to return to Gaza at a later stage.
Radwan stressed that the number of those to be deported does not exceed 5% of the total number of captives to be released and explained that the agreement was only signed after the concerned captives agreed to the measure.
Radwan, who was responding to criticism of the prisoner exchange deal by PA Foreign Minister Reyad al-Maliki, said that Maliki's statements were outside national context which welcomed this historic achievement.
Israeli official said that out 1027 captives who will be released, 40 will be deported abroad and 163 will be sent to the Gaza Strip.
Prisoner exchange to take place on Tuesday
An Israeli official from the office of Benyamin Netanyahu said on Friday that 450 Palestinian captives will be released next Tuesday and Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be released at the same time “if the agreement between the Israeli government and Hamas is respected.”
AFP quoted the official who preferred to remain anonymous that he hopes the time table in the agreement is respected and that Shalit returns to “his home” on Thursday.
Israeli radio also reported that the PM’s representative David Meidan will travel on Saturday to Cairo to agree the final details of the exchange process through Egyptian officials.
The Israeli prison service is expected to publish names of Palestinian captives who will be released to give Israeli individuals and organisations 48 hours to appeal against their release in Israeli courts.
In the past no Israeli court ruled against a prisoner exchange deal that was signed by the Israeli government but exchange cannot take place without going through this process, according to Israeli sources.
Captors of Shalit have been warned of increased drone activity
Israeli occupation drone activity have noticeably increased over the Gaza Strip since Thursday evening, despite the conclusion of a prisoner exchange deal, prompting concern that Israelis might have other intentions.
Quds Press quoted a source in Gaza as saying that drones do not leave the skies of Gaza and that they noticed the presence of more than one drone over a small area of Gaza City.
Those drones are able to send detailed pictures to Israeli occupation intelligence agents in operation rooms around the Gaza Strip.
A security source warned that the drones could be on a mission to foil the exchange at the last moment, by trying to discover where Gilad Shalit is being kept and carry out a rescue operation. The source urged Shalits captors not to relax their security measures, but to be extra vigilant.
He said that the remaining days and hours are the most difficult and that any carelessness on the part of Shalit’s captors could foil all their efforts for the past five years.
13 oct 2011
Hamas: “Deal Includes Implementing The Demands Of Striking Detainees.”

Former political prisoner, Saleh Al-Aroury, in charge of the Detainee File at the Hamas Movement, stated that the Egyptian mediated prisoner-swap deal reached with Israel, “also includes the implementation of all demands set by the detainees held by Israel”.
Al-Aroury told The Al-Quds TV station on Wednesday evening that part of the deal includes implementing the demands of the Palestinian detainees, who have previously executed repeated hunger strikes to achieve their goals. They have now been on a hunger strike for more than two weeks.
He added that the demands will be implemented after the deal is concluded, yet, he did not clarify whether they will be put into action after the first phase is instigated next week, or after the second phase, which will be implemented in two months time.
Al-Aroury, who was among the Hamas team negotiating the swap deal, stated that “not a single detainee will remain in solitary confinement, families will be able to visit their interned loved ones, and all of their problems, God willing, will be resolved”, the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center, reported.
The prisoners held by Israel started an escalated hunger strike two weeks ago, to protest the ongoing violations and attacks against them, and their families, when they were actually able to visit them.
Al-Aroury said that the first phase of the swap will be conducted Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, and confirmed that Israel will hand over the freed men and women to the Red Cross and Egyptian authorities, while at the same time captured soldier Gilad Shalit, will be transferred to the Sinai Peninsula.
He also stated that “it is unfortunate that a number of senior resistance leaders will not be released”, but added, “it is not possible for a single deal to achieve the release of everyone”.
The Hamas official claimed that there are around 5700 Palestinians currently held by Israel.
Lawyer: 35 female detainees to be released
Israel is to release more than 27 female detainees under the terms of a swap deal that was agreed between Hamas and the Israeli government, a prisoners society lawyer said Wednesday.
Jacqueline Fararja said 35 detainees would be released, a few more than the number mentioned by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal when he gave an overview of the deal.
They are 27 sentenced to jail terms, five held without charge, and three others under Israel's administrative detention system, which allows prisoners to be detained for six months at a time during investigations.
Ma'an could not independently verify the number, but Fararja provided a list of 35 names. They are sorted by the place of origin and the number of years each prisoner had been sentenced before the deal. While Israel and Hamas say all female prisoners will be freed, the official count is still 27.
Al-Aroury told The Al-Quds TV station on Wednesday evening that part of the deal includes implementing the demands of the Palestinian detainees, who have previously executed repeated hunger strikes to achieve their goals. They have now been on a hunger strike for more than two weeks.
He added that the demands will be implemented after the deal is concluded, yet, he did not clarify whether they will be put into action after the first phase is instigated next week, or after the second phase, which will be implemented in two months time.
Al-Aroury, who was among the Hamas team negotiating the swap deal, stated that “not a single detainee will remain in solitary confinement, families will be able to visit their interned loved ones, and all of their problems, God willing, will be resolved”, the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center, reported.
The prisoners held by Israel started an escalated hunger strike two weeks ago, to protest the ongoing violations and attacks against them, and their families, when they were actually able to visit them.
Al-Aroury said that the first phase of the swap will be conducted Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, and confirmed that Israel will hand over the freed men and women to the Red Cross and Egyptian authorities, while at the same time captured soldier Gilad Shalit, will be transferred to the Sinai Peninsula.
He also stated that “it is unfortunate that a number of senior resistance leaders will not be released”, but added, “it is not possible for a single deal to achieve the release of everyone”.
The Hamas official claimed that there are around 5700 Palestinians currently held by Israel.
Lawyer: 35 female detainees to be released
Israel is to release more than 27 female detainees under the terms of a swap deal that was agreed between Hamas and the Israeli government, a prisoners society lawyer said Wednesday.
Jacqueline Fararja said 35 detainees would be released, a few more than the number mentioned by Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal when he gave an overview of the deal.
They are 27 sentenced to jail terms, five held without charge, and three others under Israel's administrative detention system, which allows prisoners to be detained for six months at a time during investigations.
Ma'an could not independently verify the number, but Fararja provided a list of 35 names. They are sorted by the place of origin and the number of years each prisoner had been sentenced before the deal. While Israel and Hamas say all female prisoners will be freed, the official count is still 27.
Hamas Releases Details on First Phase Of Swap Deal

Senior Hamas sources reported that the first stage of the mediated prisoners-swap deal with Israel will secure the release of most of the detainees who have been imprisoned by Israel for 25 years or more.
Khaled Mashal, head of the Hamas Political Bureau in Syria, stated that the total number of detainees to be freed from Israeli prisons in return for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit includes 1000 male detainees and all 27 female detainees.
The Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center reported that the detainees who will be released and allowed back to their home towns are distributed as follows (totaling 272)::
1. 130 detainees from the Gaza Strip.
2. 111 detainees from the West Bank.
3. 6 detainees from the 1948 territories.
4. 25 female detainees.
Fifteen of the 45 detainees from Jerusalem to be released will be allowed to return home. The remaining 30 will be sent to Gaza or into exile.
As for detainees sentenced to at least one life-term, 310 male detainees and 5 female detainees will be released, in addition to detainees sentenced to 20-25 years.
The deal will also secure the release of most of the detainees imprisoned by Israel for more than 25 years, including the following:
1. Nael Al Barghouthi, Ramallah, imprisoned 33 years.
2. Akram Mansour, Qalqilia, 32 years.
3. Ibrahim Jaber, Hebron, 29 years.
4. Othman Musleh, Qalqilia, 29 years.
5. Fakhri Al Barghouthi, Ramallah, 33 years.
6. Mohammad Abu Khousa, Gaza, 35 years.
7. Fuad Ar-Razim, Jerusalem, 30 years.
Fateh leader and legislator Marwan Barghouthi, and the secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmad Saadat, will not be released. Israel strongly rejected their cases, among the dozens of other senior officials and fighters.
The second phase of the swap deal will secure the release of 550 detainees and will be carried out in two months, Hamas sources told the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news agency. Forty detainees will be exiled outside Palestine, although the destination is unclear.
Israel To Publish List Of 450 Detainees To Be Released In Phase One
The Israeli Ministry of Justice has announced that they will be publishing a list on Sunday, containing the names of the 450 Palestinian detainees who will be released in the first phase of the mediated prisoner-swap. The deal was reached between Israel and the Hamas movement, to secure the release of prisoner of war, Corporal Gilad Shalit, who is expected in Israel next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Despite the fact that the deal has international guarantees, the publishing of the list is a legal procedure meant to give the Israeli public a chance to file court appeals.
The Ministry of Justice held a meeting in Tel Aviv, including all parties involved in the implementation, and preparation of, all the legal procedures for the deal. They decided that the list of the detainees, who are due to be freed in the first phase, should be released this coming Sunday.
Moshe Cohen, spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Justice, stated that the session was held at the office of the Director General of the Ministry, Guy Rotkov, who heads the team tasked with conducting the legal and organizational matters pertaining to the release of the detainees.
Nearly three hundred of the four-hundred and fifty detainees who will be released in the first stage were sentenced to life-terms.
The list will be published on the website of the Israeli Justice Ministry, and a phone system will be set up to respond to calls from the public.
Furthermore, the Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that Shalit will be returned home to Israel this upcoming Tuesday or Wednesday.
Haaretz added that Shalit will be sent to the Sinai Peninsula via the Rafah Border Terminal, located between Gaza and Egypt. He will then be forwarded on to Israel to be briefed, before being sent home to his family.
Meanwhile, senior officials of the Hamas movement stated that the first phase will include all the female detainees being freed, plus forty-five from the 1948 territories, forty-five from illegally annexed East Jerusalem, and one from the occupied Golan Heights.
The second phase of the operation will secure the release of the remaining prisoners, and will be carried out in two months time, Hamas sources told the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news agency.
It is claimed that forty detainees will be exiled out of Palestine, with the destination as of yet remaining unconfirmed.
Khaled Mashal, head of the Hamas Political Bureau in Syria, stated that the total number of detainees to be freed from Israeli prisons in return for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit includes 1000 male detainees and all 27 female detainees.
The Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center reported that the detainees who will be released and allowed back to their home towns are distributed as follows (totaling 272)::
1. 130 detainees from the Gaza Strip.
2. 111 detainees from the West Bank.
3. 6 detainees from the 1948 territories.
4. 25 female detainees.
Fifteen of the 45 detainees from Jerusalem to be released will be allowed to return home. The remaining 30 will be sent to Gaza or into exile.
As for detainees sentenced to at least one life-term, 310 male detainees and 5 female detainees will be released, in addition to detainees sentenced to 20-25 years.
The deal will also secure the release of most of the detainees imprisoned by Israel for more than 25 years, including the following:
1. Nael Al Barghouthi, Ramallah, imprisoned 33 years.
2. Akram Mansour, Qalqilia, 32 years.
3. Ibrahim Jaber, Hebron, 29 years.
4. Othman Musleh, Qalqilia, 29 years.
5. Fakhri Al Barghouthi, Ramallah, 33 years.
6. Mohammad Abu Khousa, Gaza, 35 years.
7. Fuad Ar-Razim, Jerusalem, 30 years.
Fateh leader and legislator Marwan Barghouthi, and the secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmad Saadat, will not be released. Israel strongly rejected their cases, among the dozens of other senior officials and fighters.
The second phase of the swap deal will secure the release of 550 detainees and will be carried out in two months, Hamas sources told the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news agency. Forty detainees will be exiled outside Palestine, although the destination is unclear.
Israel To Publish List Of 450 Detainees To Be Released In Phase One
The Israeli Ministry of Justice has announced that they will be publishing a list on Sunday, containing the names of the 450 Palestinian detainees who will be released in the first phase of the mediated prisoner-swap. The deal was reached between Israel and the Hamas movement, to secure the release of prisoner of war, Corporal Gilad Shalit, who is expected in Israel next Tuesday or Wednesday.
Despite the fact that the deal has international guarantees, the publishing of the list is a legal procedure meant to give the Israeli public a chance to file court appeals.
The Ministry of Justice held a meeting in Tel Aviv, including all parties involved in the implementation, and preparation of, all the legal procedures for the deal. They decided that the list of the detainees, who are due to be freed in the first phase, should be released this coming Sunday.
Moshe Cohen, spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Justice, stated that the session was held at the office of the Director General of the Ministry, Guy Rotkov, who heads the team tasked with conducting the legal and organizational matters pertaining to the release of the detainees.
Nearly three hundred of the four-hundred and fifty detainees who will be released in the first stage were sentenced to life-terms.
The list will be published on the website of the Israeli Justice Ministry, and a phone system will be set up to respond to calls from the public.
Furthermore, the Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that Shalit will be returned home to Israel this upcoming Tuesday or Wednesday.
Haaretz added that Shalit will be sent to the Sinai Peninsula via the Rafah Border Terminal, located between Gaza and Egypt. He will then be forwarded on to Israel to be briefed, before being sent home to his family.
Meanwhile, senior officials of the Hamas movement stated that the first phase will include all the female detainees being freed, plus forty-five from the 1948 territories, forty-five from illegally annexed East Jerusalem, and one from the occupied Golan Heights.
The second phase of the operation will secure the release of the remaining prisoners, and will be carried out in two months time, Hamas sources told the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news agency.
It is claimed that forty detainees will be exiled out of Palestine, with the destination as of yet remaining unconfirmed.
Transfer of freed Palestinian prisoners 'begins Tuesday'

One of the groups involved in the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit said Thursday that the transfer of some 450 Palestinian prisoners will begin Tuesday.
Spokesman Abu Mujahed of the Popular Resistance Committees said Thursday that as soon as the detainees are released, officials will check each one to make sure they are among those listed in the deal.
Once the prisoners are checked, the factions holding Shalit will release him too.
An official in the PRC's military wing, meanwhile, released a list of prisoners it says Israel agreed to free in exchange for Shalit. The list includes 477 names along with the conditions of each prisoner's release.
Several lists are floating around, including one which appeared on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV. The ministry of prisoners affairs in the Gaza Strip says none of them are entirely accurate.
Abu Mujahed, the PRC spokesman, said those detainees who are to be exiled from the West Bank will depart Israel via Egypt and enter Gaza. Those who will be exiled abroad will go to Turkey or Qatar via Cairo.
Israel and Hamas agreed Tuesday to swap more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for captive soldier Shalit, resolving one of the most emotive and intractable issues between them.
The deal was overseen by the Egyptian intelligence minister two weeks ago. Israel and Hamas send delegates to Cairo and it was agreed that 450 prisoners would be freed in a first round.
There are at least 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. They are regarded as heroes in their struggle against Israeli occupation and quest for statehood.
Shalit, who also holds French citizenship, was last seen in a videotape released by his captors in September 2009. He has received no visits from the Red Cross, despite many appeals.
Israel-Palestinian swap due in Sinai next week
By Douglas Hamilton
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be freed from five years of solo captivity in the Gaza Strip sometime next week in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The swap is expected to take place on Egyptian territory at locations somewhere in the Sinai Desert, as yet undisclosed.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated other prisoner swaps, has offered its services and is discussing this with Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
"We are talking to both sides about our offer. We have offered our services as a neutral intermediary to both sides," ICRC spokesman Marcal Izard told Reuters in Geneva.
No details of the timing and choreography have been made public. But the approximate mechanics of the exchange can be sketched from details gleaned from Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The handover will begin with carefully timed, simultaneous moves somewhere in Egypt. But Shalit and the men and women for whom he is being traded are not likely to even come close to seeing each other.
The deal, over three years in the making and a casualty of at least two breakdowns, was finally brokered last week with Egyptian mediation between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
It was signed and announced by both on Tuesday evening.
Israeli law, which stipulates a 48-hour period for any citizen to formally oppose the release of any prisoner, plus this week's Jewish religious holiday, mean it is likely to be Tuesday at the earliest before the operation can take place.
Shalit is 25 and has been the focus of an emotional campaign since soon after his capture in June 2006. He was last seen, looking pale and thin, in a 2009 video shot by his captors, and he is sure to get a hero's welcome in Israel.
The Palestinian side, too, is preparing to celebrate the release of 450 men and 27 women, including prison veterans held in Israeli jails for 30 years.
Some will be greeted at home. Others will be exiled to third countries, as yet unnamed, without stopping on Palestinian soil.
One member of a Gaza militant faction who is involved in arrangements to receive prisoners set to return to the enclave forecast the handover for Tuesday "if all goes smoothly".
Destination unknown
Israel occupied the Gaza Strip from 1967 to 2005, when it withdrew settlers and troops. Control of the enclave was seized in 2007 by Hamas militants who drove out the mainstream Palestinian movement Fatah, with a pledge never to recognize Israel and to keep fighting.
Somewhere in Gaza is the secret cell where Shalit, abducted in a raid by Hamas and allied gunmen who tunneled under the front line, has been held for years, without visitors, to extract the maximum concessions from Israel in a prisoner swap.
It is expected that Shalit will be taken across Gaza's southwestern border into Egyptian territory while groups of Palestinian prisoners are transferred from Israeli jails to the Egyptian border near Eilat, on the edge of the Sinai Desert.
Former enemies Egypt and Israel have been at peace since 1979, so there is no political obstacle blocking cooperation between their security forces to facilitate the swap.
Shalit is likely to be flown to Israel by military aircraft. The Palestinians will have further to travel, possibly by bus and plane through Egypt and on to a variety of destinations.
Of the 450 Palestinian men and 27 women to be freed in this first phase of the exchange, out of a total of 1,000 men set for release in the coming months, 111 will go home to the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, and 130 will go home to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip.
Six Arab-Israeli prisoners will be allowed to return to their homes in Israel. The rest -- 203 men and two of the 27 women prisoners --will be exiled to unnamed third countries, probably to join the Palestinian diaspora.
Israel is expected to publish the list of Palestinian names agreed with Hamas on Sunday morning. It will not include a few of the most prominent activists jailed for violent attacks on Israelis, but 310 men serving life terms will be freed, including one man aged 79.
PRC armed wing releases list of Palestinian prisoners
A list of prisoners Israel is expected to free as part of an initial exchange deal for a captured soldier, provided by a member of the PRC’s armed wing.
Several lists are floating around, including one which appeared on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV. The ministry of prisoners affairs in the Gaza Strip says none of them are entirely accurate.
That includes this list, which has not been verified by Israel or Hamas. It details each prisoner's name, place of origin, year of arrest, and the terms of his or her release. Twenty-seven women are among those expected to be freed.
Resheq: we have defined the criteria for the second phase of the exchange
Member of Hamas's political bureau, Ezzat al-Resheq, revealed that the second phase of the prisoner-exchange deal, which was brokered by Egypt, will be implemented after two months and according to the criteria agreed.
He said on Thursday, in a statement he published on his facebook page, the criteria of those to be released at this stage are:
1- Include prisoners serving time for patriotic acts rather than criminal acts.
2- Exclude prisoners who almost completed their terms to include those who still have several years to serve (up to 12 years).
3- They should all go to their homes.
He also said that the names of prisoners to be released in this phase are to be decided by the Israeli occupation according to the criteria agreed.
Sources: 450 captives will be released on Tuesday
Palestinian sources as well as Israeli media sources said on Thursday that it is expected that Gilad Shalit returns to the Zionist entity through Egypt on Wednesday, expecting the exchange to take place in the coming few days.
A high ranking Palestinian official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the AFP on Thursday that the first group of 450 captives will be released on Tuesday, then Shalit will be released on Wednesday.
The official said that Shalit will be transported to Egypt through the Rafah crossing. From Egypt he will be transported the Zionist entity.
Meanwhile, the Israeli “ministry of justice” said that it will publish the names of Palestinian captives to be freed in exchange for Shalit on Sunday, to give Israelis 48 hours to appeal against the release of any particular captive.
According to the agreement which was brokered by Egypt, 450 Palestinian captives and Shalit will be released in the first stage. Another group of 550 Palestinian captives will be released in the second stage within two months.
Until now, a date for the release of female captives has not been announced.
Some Palestinian prisoners to be released to Turkey
Some of the Palestinians Israel agreed to set free in return for the long-expected release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Hamas will be released to Turkey and other third countries, according to media reports.
Israel announced on Tuesday that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas had signed a deal for the release of the captive Israeli soldier. Hamas will release Shalit, captured in 2006, in return for release by Israel of more than 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said.
Meshaal said Israel will release 1,027 prisoners in two stages. Within a week, 450 will be swapped for Shalit and the rest will be freed two months later. But not all of them are to be allowed to return to West Bank or Gaza, according to media reports. The Israeli-Hamas deal has limited the numbers allowed to return to the West Bank to 110. Only 203 will be released to Gaza and the rest to Turkey and Europe, Guardian reported.
Turkish daily Radikal said about 40 people who are not allowed to return to West Bank will be sent to Turkey and other countries. Another report, published in daily Hurriyet, said Israel did not allow these people to be sent to Syria, Lebanon or Egypt.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu welcomed the deal and said on Wednesday that Turkey was involved in the process that led to the Hamas-Israel agreement, making “contributions at different levels and different phases” of the process.
Davutoglu, however, declined to elaborate on release of Palestinian prisoners to Turkey, saying these issues will be taken up during the “swap phase.”
The foreign minister also said Turkey was informed by Hamas about the deal ahead of the agreement.
Turkey’s role in efforts to work out an agreement on prisoner swap came despite a political crisis in its relations with Israel, sparked by a deadly takeover of a Turkish aid ship in May 2010 by Israeli commandos that resulted in deaths of eight Turks and a Turkish American.
Israeli President Shimon Peres said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was involved in securing the deal and added that he was “pleasantly surprised” by Turkey's help in securing Shalit’s release.
"I was told that it was done by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Peres said. "They put everything aside and favored the humanitarian side over politics.”
Spokesman Abu Mujahed of the Popular Resistance Committees said Thursday that as soon as the detainees are released, officials will check each one to make sure they are among those listed in the deal.
Once the prisoners are checked, the factions holding Shalit will release him too.
An official in the PRC's military wing, meanwhile, released a list of prisoners it says Israel agreed to free in exchange for Shalit. The list includes 477 names along with the conditions of each prisoner's release.
Several lists are floating around, including one which appeared on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV. The ministry of prisoners affairs in the Gaza Strip says none of them are entirely accurate.
Abu Mujahed, the PRC spokesman, said those detainees who are to be exiled from the West Bank will depart Israel via Egypt and enter Gaza. Those who will be exiled abroad will go to Turkey or Qatar via Cairo.
Israel and Hamas agreed Tuesday to swap more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for captive soldier Shalit, resolving one of the most emotive and intractable issues between them.
The deal was overseen by the Egyptian intelligence minister two weeks ago. Israel and Hamas send delegates to Cairo and it was agreed that 450 prisoners would be freed in a first round.
There are at least 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. They are regarded as heroes in their struggle against Israeli occupation and quest for statehood.
Shalit, who also holds French citizenship, was last seen in a videotape released by his captors in September 2009. He has received no visits from the Red Cross, despite many appeals.
Israel-Palestinian swap due in Sinai next week
By Douglas Hamilton
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be freed from five years of solo captivity in the Gaza Strip sometime next week in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
The swap is expected to take place on Egyptian territory at locations somewhere in the Sinai Desert, as yet undisclosed.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated other prisoner swaps, has offered its services and is discussing this with Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
"We are talking to both sides about our offer. We have offered our services as a neutral intermediary to both sides," ICRC spokesman Marcal Izard told Reuters in Geneva.
No details of the timing and choreography have been made public. But the approximate mechanics of the exchange can be sketched from details gleaned from Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The handover will begin with carefully timed, simultaneous moves somewhere in Egypt. But Shalit and the men and women for whom he is being traded are not likely to even come close to seeing each other.
The deal, over three years in the making and a casualty of at least two breakdowns, was finally brokered last week with Egyptian mediation between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
It was signed and announced by both on Tuesday evening.
Israeli law, which stipulates a 48-hour period for any citizen to formally oppose the release of any prisoner, plus this week's Jewish religious holiday, mean it is likely to be Tuesday at the earliest before the operation can take place.
Shalit is 25 and has been the focus of an emotional campaign since soon after his capture in June 2006. He was last seen, looking pale and thin, in a 2009 video shot by his captors, and he is sure to get a hero's welcome in Israel.
The Palestinian side, too, is preparing to celebrate the release of 450 men and 27 women, including prison veterans held in Israeli jails for 30 years.
Some will be greeted at home. Others will be exiled to third countries, as yet unnamed, without stopping on Palestinian soil.
One member of a Gaza militant faction who is involved in arrangements to receive prisoners set to return to the enclave forecast the handover for Tuesday "if all goes smoothly".
Destination unknown
Israel occupied the Gaza Strip from 1967 to 2005, when it withdrew settlers and troops. Control of the enclave was seized in 2007 by Hamas militants who drove out the mainstream Palestinian movement Fatah, with a pledge never to recognize Israel and to keep fighting.
Somewhere in Gaza is the secret cell where Shalit, abducted in a raid by Hamas and allied gunmen who tunneled under the front line, has been held for years, without visitors, to extract the maximum concessions from Israel in a prisoner swap.
It is expected that Shalit will be taken across Gaza's southwestern border into Egyptian territory while groups of Palestinian prisoners are transferred from Israeli jails to the Egyptian border near Eilat, on the edge of the Sinai Desert.
Former enemies Egypt and Israel have been at peace since 1979, so there is no political obstacle blocking cooperation between their security forces to facilitate the swap.
Shalit is likely to be flown to Israel by military aircraft. The Palestinians will have further to travel, possibly by bus and plane through Egypt and on to a variety of destinations.
Of the 450 Palestinian men and 27 women to be freed in this first phase of the exchange, out of a total of 1,000 men set for release in the coming months, 111 will go home to the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, and 130 will go home to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip.
Six Arab-Israeli prisoners will be allowed to return to their homes in Israel. The rest -- 203 men and two of the 27 women prisoners --will be exiled to unnamed third countries, probably to join the Palestinian diaspora.
Israel is expected to publish the list of Palestinian names agreed with Hamas on Sunday morning. It will not include a few of the most prominent activists jailed for violent attacks on Israelis, but 310 men serving life terms will be freed, including one man aged 79.
PRC armed wing releases list of Palestinian prisoners
A list of prisoners Israel is expected to free as part of an initial exchange deal for a captured soldier, provided by a member of the PRC’s armed wing.
Several lists are floating around, including one which appeared on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV. The ministry of prisoners affairs in the Gaza Strip says none of them are entirely accurate.
That includes this list, which has not been verified by Israel or Hamas. It details each prisoner's name, place of origin, year of arrest, and the terms of his or her release. Twenty-seven women are among those expected to be freed.
Resheq: we have defined the criteria for the second phase of the exchange
Member of Hamas's political bureau, Ezzat al-Resheq, revealed that the second phase of the prisoner-exchange deal, which was brokered by Egypt, will be implemented after two months and according to the criteria agreed.
He said on Thursday, in a statement he published on his facebook page, the criteria of those to be released at this stage are:
1- Include prisoners serving time for patriotic acts rather than criminal acts.
2- Exclude prisoners who almost completed their terms to include those who still have several years to serve (up to 12 years).
3- They should all go to their homes.
He also said that the names of prisoners to be released in this phase are to be decided by the Israeli occupation according to the criteria agreed.
Sources: 450 captives will be released on Tuesday
Palestinian sources as well as Israeli media sources said on Thursday that it is expected that Gilad Shalit returns to the Zionist entity through Egypt on Wednesday, expecting the exchange to take place in the coming few days.
A high ranking Palestinian official, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the AFP on Thursday that the first group of 450 captives will be released on Tuesday, then Shalit will be released on Wednesday.
The official said that Shalit will be transported to Egypt through the Rafah crossing. From Egypt he will be transported the Zionist entity.
Meanwhile, the Israeli “ministry of justice” said that it will publish the names of Palestinian captives to be freed in exchange for Shalit on Sunday, to give Israelis 48 hours to appeal against the release of any particular captive.
According to the agreement which was brokered by Egypt, 450 Palestinian captives and Shalit will be released in the first stage. Another group of 550 Palestinian captives will be released in the second stage within two months.
Until now, a date for the release of female captives has not been announced.
Some Palestinian prisoners to be released to Turkey
Some of the Palestinians Israel agreed to set free in return for the long-expected release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Hamas will be released to Turkey and other third countries, according to media reports.
Israel announced on Tuesday that Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas had signed a deal for the release of the captive Israeli soldier. Hamas will release Shalit, captured in 2006, in return for release by Israel of more than 1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said.
Meshaal said Israel will release 1,027 prisoners in two stages. Within a week, 450 will be swapped for Shalit and the rest will be freed two months later. But not all of them are to be allowed to return to West Bank or Gaza, according to media reports. The Israeli-Hamas deal has limited the numbers allowed to return to the West Bank to 110. Only 203 will be released to Gaza and the rest to Turkey and Europe, Guardian reported.
Turkish daily Radikal said about 40 people who are not allowed to return to West Bank will be sent to Turkey and other countries. Another report, published in daily Hurriyet, said Israel did not allow these people to be sent to Syria, Lebanon or Egypt.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu welcomed the deal and said on Wednesday that Turkey was involved in the process that led to the Hamas-Israel agreement, making “contributions at different levels and different phases” of the process.
Davutoglu, however, declined to elaborate on release of Palestinian prisoners to Turkey, saying these issues will be taken up during the “swap phase.”
The foreign minister also said Turkey was informed by Hamas about the deal ahead of the agreement.
Turkey’s role in efforts to work out an agreement on prisoner swap came despite a political crisis in its relations with Israel, sparked by a deadly takeover of a Turkish aid ship in May 2010 by Israeli commandos that resulted in deaths of eight Turks and a Turkish American.
Israeli President Shimon Peres said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was involved in securing the deal and added that he was “pleasantly surprised” by Turkey's help in securing Shalit’s release.
"I was told that it was done by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Peres said. "They put everything aside and favored the humanitarian side over politics.”
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