Palestinian hospitals gear up to receive prisoners anticipated to be freed as Israel, Hamas near final stages of potential exchange agreement
The Palestinian Ministry of Health is preparing to receive prisoners who may be released as part of a much-anticipated prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, which has reportedly reached its final stages of negotiation.
Dr. Moatasem Mohisen, acting Palestinian assistant undersecretary for Hospitals and Emergency Affairs, directed hospital directors on Tuesday to make immediate preparations if a deal is reached and prisoners are released, citing earlier reports of Israeli brutal torture of Palestinian detainees in various jails.
“In preparation for the prisoner exchange deal and the arrival of our freed prisoners from the occupation's prisons, immediate work to equip and prepare internal medicine and surgery clinics to examine, assess, and treat our brothers, providing them with the necessary healthcare,” the directive read.
According to Israel's Channel 12, Netanyahu will hold urgent security consultations later Tuesday to discuss the pending deal.
Israeli media also reported significant progress in the talks, which have been going on for weeks despite persistent obstacles.
Earlier, Hamas said a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap agreement is in “its final stages.”
Majed Al-Ansari, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, stated separately on Tuesday that the Gaza cease-fire negotiations are in their "final stages" and that an agreement is "imminent."
Earlier, Palestinian sources said a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange agreement is "nearly ready" and could be signed on Friday.
According to sources, the implementation will take place in three stages over 40 to 42 days, with additional negotiations planned for subsequent phases.
During the first stage, Israeli forces will maintain control of the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza and the Philadelphi Corridor in southern Gaza. After one week, Hamas is expected to provide lists of Israeli prisoners, followed by Israel allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.
The current progress follows more than a year of delays, during which Netanyahu frequently claimed progress toward an agreement while escalating military operations and displacement efforts in Gaza.
The breakthrough reportedly came after intense pressure from Steve Witkoff, an envoy nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump for the Middle East, during a "tense meeting" with Netanyahu on Saturday, according to The Times of Israel.
Israel currently holds more than 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, while it is estimated that 98 Israelis are detained in Gaza. Hamas said that many Israeli captives have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.
The prisoner swap and cease-fire talks, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, have been interrupted several times due to new conditions imposed by Netanyahu.
The Israeli opposition and families of captives accuse him of obstructing efforts to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
Israel has continued its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 46,600 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
