39 Palestinian prisoners will be released on Friday as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages from the Gaza Strip, an Israeli official told CNN, UNN reports.
Details
The prisoners will reportedly be taken from two prisons - Damon and Megiddo, located southeast of Haifa - and taken to Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the West Bank, for final verification by the Red Cross.
From there, they will be transported through the nearby Beituniya crossing to their home towns and villages in the West Bank.
The released prisoners are expected to include women and male adolescents under the age of 18.
The timing of the release is unclear, but an Israeli official said that the prisoners will not be released until the hostages from Gaza return to Israel.
The hostages, which CNN has already reported include 13 women and children, are expected to be released at 4 p.m. local time.
The official said that the hostages would enter Israel at two points: through the Nitsana border crossing with Egypt and through the Kerem Shalom crossing from the Gaza Strip.
After returning to Israel, the freed hostages will be transported by helicopter to two hospitals near Tel Aviv, the official added.