Prisoners society: 9 female detainees not included in deal

A Palestinian woman, with her hands chained, flashes victory signs as
she takes part in a protest calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners
from Israeli jails, near the International Committee of Red Cross offices in
Beirut, October 14, 2011. (REUTERS/Sharif Karim)

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian prisoners society on Sunday released the names of 9 female detainees it said are not included in the prisoner exchange set to take place on Tuesday.

Suad Ahmad Abdul Raouf, Lina Ahmad al-Jarbuni, Khadija Kayed Abu Ayesh, Muna Amna, Bushra al-Tawil, Feda Abu Suneineh, Haniyeh Nasser, Rani Halasa and Worood Qassem will not be released along with the 27 other female detainees, according to the society.

The names include all three Palestinian female detainees born in Israel, and two women from Ramallah, according to lists by the prisoners society. However it also names at least one woman -- Muna Amna -- who appears on an Israeli list of those slated for release. Ma'an could not independently verify the prisoners' society list.

Earlier on Sunday, Israel's ministry of justice published a list of 450 men and 27 women to be released as part of a prisoner exchange for captured soldier Gilad Shalit.

Following publication of the names, the 27 women were transferred from Damun prison in the north to Sharon in central Israel ahead of their release, Israeli officials said.

The women were transported in four buses with blacked out windows, according to Israel Radio.

The plight of women imprisoned in Israel causes widespread concern among Palestinians.

In a televised statement announcing the deal on Tuesday, Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal had described a list of 27 women due to be released as all female prisoners held by Israel.

But the prisoners society said in Sunday's statement that there are a total of 36 female detainees in Israeli jails.

A lawyer from the prisoners society last Wednesday named 35 female detainees she said would be released, while lists provided by the Popular Resistance Committees' armed wing and Israel's prison service name 27 women.

According to figures provided by the Palestinian Authority in early October, there are at least 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 35 women.

AFP contributed to this report