Pakistan agreed to host 15 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel, says Hamas spokesperson

Hamas spokesperson Dr. Khalid Al-Qadoumi said on Monday that Pakistan has agreed to host 15 Palestinian prisoners who were recently released from Israeli custody under a recent ceasefire agreement.

“Initially, the number will be 15, but the timeline for their arrival in Pakistan has not yet been determined,” the Hamas spokesperson said while speaking to Independent Urdu in a telephonic conversation.

However, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has yet to respond to Hamas' claim.

The ceasefire, which ended 15 months of war, began on January 15 and includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from central Gaza and the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.

According to the deal, Hamas agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and men over 50, while Israel committed to releasing 30 Palestinian detainees for every civilian hostage and 50 for every Israeli female soldier released by Hamas.

During the telephonic interview, the Hamas spokesperson expressed gratitude to the leadership and people of Pakistan, stating, “This once again proves that Pakistan is a big brother and its soul is connected to Jerusalem… Pakistan and its people have always fulfilled the promises they made.”

Qadoumi asserted that the Palestinians intending to travel to Pakistan will transit through Egypt and Turkey, though they have not yet left Egypt.

“Several Islamic countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Algeria, have expressed willingness to host a group of Palestinian prisoners released under the Tufan al-Ahrar agreement. Discussions with these countries are currently ongoing,” he further claimed.

The Palestinian news agency Quds Press had earlier reported that Pakistan was among four countries agreeing to host prisoners released under the Gaza ceasefire.

The news agency, while citing a “senior Hamas official,” on Monday reported, “The [Hamas] movement is currently negotiating with several countries to secure approval for hosting the remaining released prisoners.”

As per the media report, Hamas was in talks with Algeria and Indonesia regarding the acceptance of prisoners, while Tunisia has declined to do so.

Since the onset of Israel's military offensive on Gaza in October 2023, Pakistan has supplied humanitarian aid and launched a public donation fund to support the war-affected population in Gaza.

The conflict has led to the devastating loss of life, with more than 47,000 Palestinians reportedly killed and widespread destruction in Gaza, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.