Cairo: Turkey, Algeria, and Tunisia have announced their willingness to receive 70 Palestinian prisoners following their release from Israeli prisons. The prisoners, who were transferred to Egypt after their release, will be relocated as part of an exchange agreement and the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Abdullah al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, stated that the countries have expressed readiness to host the prisoners, who are set to live abroad after their release. This move is seen as a part of the broader efforts to manage the outcomes of the prisoner exchange deal.

Hamas movement spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, confirmed that a leadership delegation led by Muhammad Darwish, head of the movement’s Shura Council, will travel to Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials and facilitate the handover of the prisoners released by Israel. In addition, delegations from the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are also set to arrive in Egypt for the same purpose.

The release of the 70 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were serving high or life sentences, marks the second phase of the prisoner exchange deal. These prisoners were transported to Egypt via the Rafah border crossing. Israel still holds over 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, and estimates suggest approximately 96 Israelis are detained in Gaza.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement, effective since the 19th of this month, includes provisions for the release of Israeli prisoners in Gaza in return for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The agreement comprises three stages, each lasting 42 days, aiming for the gradual release of 33 Israelis in exchange for 1,700 to 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The initial phase of the agreement resulted in the release of three Israeli female civilian prisoners, swapped for 90 Palestinian child prisoners from the occupied West Bank, including al-Quds.