As court dates near, Hamas hopes Saudi will release Palestinian detainees

Hamas hopes political prisoners being held in Saudi will be released and their files closed in the kingdom,  the movement’s head Ismail Haniyeh said yesterday.

In a statement Haniyeh said: “Our hopes stem from the historical stances of the kingdom in its support for the Palestinians, as well as from the support of the Servant of the Two Holy Mosques [King Salman] to the Palestinian people and their just cause.”

This comes following reports that Saudi courts are scheduled to hold hearings for the Palestinian prisoners in Saudi jails starting on Sunday.

“We hope that these hearings end with the release of all Palestinian prisoners, led by Dr Mohammed Al-Khodari (Abu Hani),” Haniyeh said.

Al-Khodari, 82, and his Hani have been detained in Saudi since early 2019. He suffers from prostate cancer and needs medical care which has not been provided to him in prison.

In April, security forces raided his house and interrogated his 70-year-old wife, Wejdan, forcing her to sign an undertaking that prevents her from talking about her husband’s condition to the media and confiscating her phone.

In previous statements, Hamas said that there are approximately 60 Palestinians being held in Saudi Arabia, including Al-Khodari and his son.

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