Pakistan denies involvement as Hamas negotiates hosting of Palestinian prisoners

[Islamabad] – Hamas said on Monday that Pakistan has agreed to host 15 Palestinian prisoners who were released from Israeli custody under a recent ceasefire agreement. However, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has denied any knowledge of the arrangement, and the Foreign Ministry has yet to respond.

Speaking to Independent Urdu—the Urdu-language edition of the British newspaper The Independent—Hamas spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Qadoumi said, “Initially, the number will be 15, but the timeline for their arrival in Pakistan has not yet been determined.” According to Independent Urdu, the Palestinians planning to travel to Pakistan will transit through Egypt and Turkey, though they have not yet left Egypt.

Al-Qadoumi added, “Several Islamic countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Algeria, have expressed willingness to host a group of Palestinian prisoners released under the Tufan al-Ahrar agreement. Discussions with these countries are currently ongoing.”

Earlier, the Palestinian news agency Quds Press reported that Pakistan was among four countries agreeing to host prisoners released under the Gaza ceasefire. Citing a “senior Hamas official,” the agency stated on Monday that “the [Hamas] movement is currently negotiating with several countries to secure approval for hosting the remaining released prisoners.”

Quds Press also noted that 99 Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel have been deported to Egypt, with a total of 263 prisoners expected to be released by the end of the ceasefire’s first phase. The report indicated that 15 prisoners are due to arrive in Turkey from Cairo on Tuesday, February 4. It further mentioned that Hamas is in talks with Algeria and Indonesia to take in prisoners, while Tunisia has declined to do so.

Hamas terrorists gesture on the day of the handover of hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, to members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Gaza City, February 1, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS)

Hostage deal’s second phase

These reports come as negotiations for the agreement’s second phase are set to begin on Tuesday and after US President Donald Trump prompted controversy by suggesting that Arab nations, including Jordan and Egypt, should take in large numbers of Palestinian refugees from Gaza as part of a plan to “clean out” the conflict-ravaged region. Trump’s remarks, made to reporters on Air Force One, drew strong criticism from regional leaders and human rights advocates who argue that the proposal would lead to forced displacement and undermine Palestinian identity.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, swiftly rejected the plan, citing the kingdom’s “firm and unwavering” stance. Jordan already hosts more than 2.3 million registered Palestinian refugees, according to United Nations figures, and has consistently opposed adding further responsibilities. Similarly, Egypt’s Ambassador to the US, Motaz Zahran, condemned Trump’s suggestion in an op-ed, warning that it could amount to “a second Nakba,” referring to the mass displacement of Palestinians in 1948.