Hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners set to be released on Tuesday refrained from launching
celebrations while still in Israeli custody, a Prisons Service source
said.
“They aren’t celebrating in front of us. We’ve seen no jubilation
in the jails,” the source said.
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Gilad Schalit's release: The stage-by-stage timelineMale prisoners are being kept at the
Ktziot facility in the south and female prisoners are at the Sharon prison,
ahead of their imminent release.
It was too soon to identify which of the
approximately 4,000 remaining Palestinian prisoners will take up leadership
roles in the jails, the source said.
“We have another 550 security
prisoners to release. We haven’t received the list [from the government] yet,”
the source added.
Throughout Monday night, the Prisons Service finalized
preparations to bus the prisoners in heavily-guarded convoys to release points
in Rafah and the West Bank.
After receiving the military’s green light,
the convoys will head out early on Tuesday under guard by the Prison Service’s
Nachson Unit.
Thirty seven female prisoners held in the Sharon prison
will be sent to the Ofer prison, from where they will be released to the West
Bank.
Ninety six male prisoners being held in the Ktziot facility in the
south will be bused to the Ofer prison in the West Bank. Six male prisoners will
be released to their homes in Israel. Three will be released from the Megido
prison, two from the Ayalon prison, and one from the Katzrin jail in the
Golan.
The remainder of the male and female prisoners will board a
southbound bus convoy to the Kerem Hashalom border crossing, where they will be
transferred to Egyptian custody.
