The Hebrew newspaper "Yediot Ahronot" reported on Monday that the Israeli government headed by Netanyahu has agreed to allow the return of 18 Palestinian prisoners, who were released as part of "Wafa al-Ahrar" deal, back to the West Bank.
According to the Israeli paper, 18 Palestinian prisoners will be allowed to return back to West Bank from the Gaza Strip, where they had been deported immediately following their release as part of the prisoners exchange deal signed between Israel and Hamas last October.
Yediot Ahronot stated that Israel has agreed to the move, but that the identities of the prisoners who will be allowed back are being negotiated and are still unknown.
Under "Wafa al-Ahrar" exchange deal, the prisoners had spent a full year of deportation in the Gaza Strip, before they will be allowed to return back to their home towns in the West Bank.
According to Palestinian sources, the Israeli government and the Egyptian side, which sponsored the deal, have agreed, with a follow-up by Hamas official Saleh Aruri, that the return of the eighteen prisoners will take place during this month.
The sources also noted that Palestinian and Egyptian officials will continue to pressure the Israeli occupation to allow all the deported liberated prisoners to return to their houses.
As part of the prisoner exchange deal reached between Israel and Hamas, 163 Palestinian prisoners were expelled to the Gaza Strip and 40 more were deported to Turkey, Qatar, Syria and other countries, out of more than a thousand and fifty released Palestinian prisoners in exchange of the release of IOF soldier Shalit from Hamas captivity.
Palestinian sources said the prisoners fear they might be arrested if they reenter West Bank's borders.
For his part, the liberated prisoner Tawfik Abu Naim said: "We are now waiting for guarantees, to be provided by the Egyptian side which sponsored the deal, insuring that the ex-prisoners will not be re-arrested by Israeli authorities and will return safe to their families."
Concerning the approval of ex-prisoners to return to their home town, he said: "It is up to the liberated prisoners to decide what fits their interests."
