Dr. Al-Barsh says preparations under way to receive about 1,900 prisoners Israel will release today in exchange deal

Dr. Munir al-Barsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, that they are ready to receive about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners being released today by Israel as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.

Dr. al-Barsh told a press briefing that they are preparing the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, to receive the prisoners as soon as they arrive, and that medical teams are carrying out comprehensive examinations to assess their health.

He said: “We are preparing to receive the bodies of a number of martyrs, and we hope that among them are the bodies of our medical staff,” calling for Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr. Marwan al-Hams to be included on the list of those released, saying they have given much to their country.

He noted that many of the prisoners suffer from skin conditions such as scabies due to the harsh detention conditions, and that they will provide the necessary treatment despite shortages of resources and medicines, adding: “After the ceasefire agreement, we seek to restore a minimum level of health services in the Strip.”

“Health teams continue to assess the general situation and to inventory the extent of damage in hospitals and medical centres,” he said.

Dr. al-Barsh added that around 17,000 patients are in urgent need of travel abroad for treatment due to severe medicine shortages and the shutdown of many health facilities.