The Israeli Prison Service confirmed on Saturday that it freed 183 Palestinians as part of the fifth prisoner exchange under the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
In a statement, officials said the prisoners were transferred from various prisons across the country prior to their release.
This number matches the count provided by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an NGO that handles such matters.
Hamas has condemned what it describes as the “slow murder” of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons following the hospitalisation of seven recently released prisoners. The hospitalisations include Jamal al-Tawil, a political leader of Hamas in the West Bank.
According to Hamas, these incidents reflect the “systematic aggression and ill-treatment” by Israeli prison authorities towards Palestinian prisoners, disregarding their age and health issues.
On Saturday morning, Hamas fighters released three Israeli hostages after 16 months of captivity in Gaza.
