24 Women And 15 Palestinian Teenage Boys To Be Released From Israeli Prison Today

Illustration of Palestinians. (Source: UNRWA/Ashraf Amra)

JAKARTA - Palestinian officials said on Friday 39 Palestinian prisoners who will be released in the first phase today consist of 24 women and 15 teenage boys in the West Bank, in exchange for 13 hostages, Hamas will release them.

The inmates, all from the occupied West Bank or Jerusalem, will be handed over to the International Red Cross Committee at Israel's Ofer military prison at around 16.00 local time, said Qadura Fares, Palestinian commissioner for detention.

This coincided with the plan to hand over 13 women and children on the Gaza-Egypt border, which was among 240 people held hostage by the Hamas armed group in the October 7 attack on southern Israel.

"After the Red Cross receives the (Palestinian) prisoners, those from Jerusalem will go to Jerusalem and those from the West Bank will gather at the Betunia city council where their families will wait," Fares told Reuters. November 24.

The release of prisoners is part of an Israeli-Hamas ceasefire that began at 7 a.m. local time and appears to be walking loosely without any major reports of bombings, artillery strikes or rocket attacks, although both sides are accused of offenses.

Earlier, Israeli officials said 39 Palestinian prisoners would be released on Friday, as part of the first phase of the deal with Qatari and US mediated Hamas.

The prisoners will be taken from two Damon and Megiddo prisons, both southeastern Haifa to be taken to the Ofer prison, south of Ramallah, the occupied West Bank, for the final examination by the Red Cross.