Freed Palestinian Prisoners Reported at Cairo Hotel

Under the US‑brokered October 2024 ceasefire, about 154 Palestinian ex-prisoners deported by Israel were sent to Egypt and initially housed at the Renaissance Cairo Mirage City hotel. Several news outlets published photos showing some men mingling with tourists and named alleged militants including Mahmoud Issa and Samir Abu Nima; the hotel told Israel’s Channel 12 that the released prisoners had been staying there but said they are no longer on the premises. Most of the men had been sentenced to life by Israeli military courts on charges including murder and membership in banned Palestinian groups, convictions that UN experts and human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised as lacking fair-trial guarantees. The ex-prisoners have reported mistreatment and harsh prison conditions; while in Cairo they reportedly remained under surveillance and lacked freedom of movement or work permits, with Qatar said to be covering accommodation costs. Negotiations are ongoing over resettlement, with Qatar, Turkiye, Malaysia and Pakistan among the countries being discussed.