Released Palestinian murder convicts sent to Qatar, Turkey
After 70 Palestinian murder convicts were released from Israeli prisons last week, Qatar and Turkey have agreed to receive them into their countries.
While Egypt agreed to temporarily receive these freed prisoners, two anonymous officials told the Times of Israel that Qatar and Turkey are expected to permanently host them.
“Turkey has agreed to take in around 15 of those Palestinians and Qatar is expected to take in the remainder,” the report said, “though talks are ongoing and an additional country may be asked to host some of the prisoners deported later on in the deal, according to a regional official and an Arab diplomat familiar with the matter.”
The hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, which enabled the release of these convicts, stipulated that Palestinian prisoners who committed the most egregious crimes would not be allowed to return to the Palestinian Territories.
The Times of Israel further reported that “the decision on where to send the various Palestinian murder convicts is done in coordination with Israel.”
Qatar and Turkey became involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas in the early days of the war.
About a month and a half after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke of their involvement.
“Both my foreign minister and my intelligence chief, they are continuing the process with a joint effort with Qatar,” Erdogan said at the time. “Our hope is that we reach an outcome on the exchange of the prisoners as soon as possible.”
Qatar had hosted senior Hamas leaders in their capital for much of the war, and was one of three nations that brokered the hostage deal, alongside Egypt and the United States.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
You might also like to read this:
