Palestine Minister of State for Prisoners Affairs Hisham Abdulrazeq informed media reporters attending "Face the Press" program held at the Palestine Ministry of Information premises in Al- Bireh city that the PNA is expecting Israel's response to the Palestinian suggested criteria for releasing Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons. The Israeli response is expected within the coming ten days paving the way for the release of the next group of Palestinian prisoners before Al-Adha Feast next March.

It should be noted that Israel detains 1650 Palestinians most of whom are members of "Hamas", in addition to 125 members belonging to Islamic Jihad organization. Abdulrazeq added, the Palestinian side insists on releasing prisoners based on the pervious criteria and are still in Israeli prisons. In addition to that, the Palestinian side asks for the release of prisoners who served more than 20 years in Israeli prisons numbering seven.

Abdulrazeq added that there is a disagreement between the PNA and Israel on the number of prisoners suffering from chronic illnesses, the PNA says their number is 180 prisoners and Israel says they are only 22. Adulrazeq states those 22 acknowledged by Israel to be chronically ill should be released. The suggested Palestinian criteria for prisoners' release include female prisoners. In his briefing to reporters, Abdulrazeq stressed the deteriorating detention conditions under which Israel detains Palestinian prisoners, adding the recent one-day hunger strike staged by the prisoners was only a warning to draw attention to their plight.
Palestinian prisoners in the Hadarim prison numbering 80 are suffering from extremely difficult conditions, prisoners children and other relatives are not allowed to hug their fathers or shake their hands, they are only allowed to use a telephone line while looking at them through a glass window.
There are also 200 Palestinian families from Gaza who are not allowed to visit their sons in Israeli prisons.