• Israel has transferred Palestinian prisoners ahead of a planned release under the Gaza ceasefire.
• The release will involve around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli captives.
• The initial stage of the ceasefire took effect on Friday, with releases expected to begin on Monday.
• Negotiations continue over which Palestinian prisoners will be included in the exchange.
• Reports indicate that over 11,100 Palestinians are currently imprisoned in Israel.

As part of the ongoing negotiations related to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Israeli authorities have begun transferring Palestinian prisoners to two separate detention facilities. Prisoners earmarked for release to Gaza or deportation via the Rafah border crossing were moved to Ketziot Prison in the Negev, while those expected to be freed from the West Bank were relocated to Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah, according to Middle East Eye and TRT World.

The planned release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners is set to take place in exchange for 48 Israeli captives currently held by Hamas. Of the prisoners to be released, about 250 are serving life sentences, and around 1,700 have been detained in Gaza since the conflict escalated in October 2023. The names of these prisoners have been contested, as the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office associated with Hamas claimed that no consensus had been reached on the exchange lists, a sentiment echoed by reports from AA and TRT World.

With the ceasefire initially taking effect on Friday, Israeli forces had completed their withdrawal to agreed-upon positions by the afternoon. This withdrawal prompted a 72-hour window for the planned exchange process to commence. The Israeli Justice Ministry confirmed the publication of names of the 250 life-term prisoners involved in the exchange process, as reported by Middle East Eye and AA.

This development comes amidst a backdrop of severe humanitarian concerns, with warnings about the conditions faced by over 11,100 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, many of whom reportedly suffer from torture and medical neglect, according to Middle East Eye and AA.