Israel refuses to release Palestinain doctors as part of ceasefire deal: Report

Hamas will release the remaining Israeli hostages by October 13 in exchange of 250 Palestinian life-term prisoners and 1,700 others detained after October 7, 2023.

Israel has refused to release Palestinian doctors, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr Marwan Al Hams as part of the 2000 prisoner exchange agreement, CNN reported.

Dr Abu Safiya and Dr Marwan Al-Hams were abducted last year during Israel’s relentless military operation that has so far claimed more than 67,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and nearly 170,000 were injured since October 7, 2023, according to the latest data released by Gaza Health Ministry.

“The Israeli government have refused to release Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr Marwan Al-Hams,” CNN quoted a Hamas official on Friday.

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Who are Palestinian doctors whom Israel refuses to release?

Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is a Palestinian paediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is widely known for his unwavering courage and resilience, refusing to leave his patients and staff amid Israel’s nonstop shelling and ignoring the Zionist army’s death threats.

The hospital was the last functioning medical structure in North Gaza before Dr Abu Safiya and its staff were detained by the Israeli army on December 27, last year.

He is currently lodged at the Ofer prison in solitary confinement. According to his lawyer, Dr Abu Safiya’s condition has rapidly deteriorated, losing over 30 kgs. He has contracted scabies and is repeatedly subjected to assault and beatings. He also suffers from high blood pressure and continues to face complications from earlier shrapnel injuries.

Dr Marwan Al-Hams is a senior Palestinian doctor and the director of Field Hospitals for the Gaza Health Ministry. He worked as a spokesperson for the ministry, providing frequent updates on the health situation in Gaza. On July 21, he was detained near the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) field hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Israel-Hamas prisoner-hostage deal

On October 9, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a comprehensive peace plan aimed at ending the two-year war in Gaza. This agreement, brokered through indirect talks in Egypt with mediators Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, marks a significant step toward de-escalation and reconstruction in the region.

According to the agreement, Hamas will release the remaining Israeli hostages by October 13 in exchange of 250 Palestinian life-term prisoners and 1,700 others detained after October 7, 2023. Israeli Army troops will withdraw from major parts of Gaza within 72 hours. The deal also includes demilitarisation of Hamas, international reconstruction and aid for Gaza, and a Board of Peace to oversee implementation.

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