By Jaidaa Taha and Tamar Beeri

CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel released almost 2,000 Palestinians from its custody this month in exchange for 20 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.

They include 250 prisoners, some members of Palestinian militant groups, who were either convicted or charged with carrying out, taking part in, or planning deadly attacks. Hamas said 154 of the 250 convicted prisoners were deported to Egypt.

Around 1,700 of the remaining freed prisoners were detained by the military during the war and held without court rulings.

NUMBER OF PALESTINIANS IN ISRAELI JAILS

After the deal, the number of Palestinians in 23 Israeli prisons and detention centres stood at more than 9,100.

There is an additional unspecified number of Gaz

See Full Page