At least 90 Palestinian prisoners have been launched by Israel Monday after Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages, finishing the primary change beneath a long-awaited truce in Gaza.
Two buses carrying Palestinian prisoners needed to inch by way of a thick crowd once they ultimately arrived within the West Bank at 2 a.m. Monday.
After the doorways opened, girls hugged their family and cried tears of pleasure whereas throngs of individuals chanted, waved flags and climbed atop the autos. Others lit fireworks within the usually quiet suburb of Beitunia.
Bushra al-Tawil, a Palestinian journalist jailed in Israel in March 2024, was among the many first batch of prisoners to be launched within the truce.
Over the subsequent 42 days, round 1,900 Palestinians are as a result of be freed in change for 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Tawil started her journey at 3 a.m. the day earlier than when she was taken from her jail to a different nearer the separation wall. There, she was grouped with different inmates awaiting motion.
“The wait was extremely hard. But thank God, we were certain that at any moment we would be released,” she stated.
Tawil had solely realized she could be free of different inmates who had attended a listening to.
“The lawyers told them the (cease-fire) deal had been announced and was in the implementation phase,” stated Tawil, whose father can also be in an Israeli jail.
“I was worried about him. He is still a prisoner, but I just received good news that he will be released as part of this deal.”
A crowd of a whole lot of Palestinians pressed round Tawil and the 89 different prisoners launched in change for 3 Israeli hostages held in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.
Many within the crowd had gathered earlier on a hill in Beitunia for a view of Israel’s Ofer jail, from the place the prisoners have been being launched.
“We came here to witness it and feel the emotions, just like the families of the prisoners who are being released today,” stated Amanda Abu Sharkh, 23, from the close by metropolis of Ramallah.
‘They really feel like household’
“All the prisoners being released today feel like family to us. They are part of us, even if they’re not blood relatives,” she advised AFP.
As evening fell and the wait continued within the chilly, dozens of small fires illuminated the stony hill.
Excitement grew when news broke that the three Israeli hostages had been launched.
Muhammad, 20, stated he had come from Ramallah along with his buddies as quickly as he heard the event.
Recently launched from Ofer jail himself, he expressed “great joy” on the considered households being reunited.
“I know a lot of people in prison, there are innocent people, children and women,” he stated.
The prisoners set to be launched throughout the preliminary 42-day cease-fire interval embody many held beneath administrative detention, which doesn’t require formal prices.
Others are serving life sentences for assaults that killed Israelis.
Farther in Beitunia, even larger crowds gathered on the roundabout the place the prisoners have been finally dropped off, waving Palestinian and Hamas flags, chanting slogans and filling the streets in anticipation.
‘There will probably be a number of crying’
An 18-year-old lady might barely include her pleasure as she awaited her mom’s launch.
“I’ll hug her right away – of course, I’ll hug her. At first, it’ll just be tears of joy,” she stated.
“After that, she’ll tell us about her time in prison, and we’ll tell her about our lives without her. I’m sure there will be a lot of crying,” she stated as she stood by her brother, sister and aunt.
Her mom, a health care provider, had been arrested in January 2024 within the north of the occupied West Bank for social media exercise, she stated.
“They accused her of incitement because of posts she wrote on Facebook,” she stated, calling the costs “ridiculous” for a middle-aged nurse and educated midwife.
Nearby, Oday waited along with his household.
Though he had been freed after being arrested along with his son in the beginning of the conflict, his son stays detained and isn’t on the preliminary launch checklist.
Oday, who most well-liked to not give his final title for worry of jeopardizing his son’s launch, stated his son had been arrested for social media exercise.
But he stated he wished to have a good time all of the releases on Sunday evening as a result of he is aware of what captivity is like.
“You can’t think for yourself and for your son only,” he stated, including he was blissful hostages have been being launched from Gaza as nicely.
Source: www.dailysabah.com