Israel Frees 39 Palestinian Detainees, Including Women and Minors
Jerusalem: In a significant move, Israeli prison authorities announced on Sunday that they had released 39 Palestinian detainees. This comes after Hamas, the Palestinian political party, freed 13 hostages as part of a recent agreement that took effect on Friday.
The released Palestinian prisoners consist entirely of women and individuals under the age of 19. Similarly, the hostages released by Hamas also include women and children.
According to the terms of the agreement, the swap is expected to last for four days and facilitate the release of 50 Israelis and 150 Palestinians.
The exchange took place on Saturday, following an initial swap on Friday where Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages, all of whom were women and children, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian detainees, also consisting of women and children.
Although the release of the Palestinian prisoners was met with celebrations in East Jerusalem, the atmosphere remained subdued due to the heavy presence of Israeli police.
One of the most prominent Palestinian figures released is Israa Jaabis, a 37-year-old woman who had been convicted of detonating a gas cylinder in her car at a checkpoint in 2015, resulting in the injury of a police officer. Jaabis had been serving an 11-year prison sentence.
As she returned home, armed Israeli security forces stood by her house. Speaking to journalists in her living room, Jaabis expressed her mixed emotions, saying, “I’m ashamed to talk about rejoicing when the whole of Palestine is wounded.” She emphasized the need for the release of all prisoners.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, crowds celebrated the agreement and chanted slogans praising Hamas for its role. Hamas, an Islamist movement, holds control over parts of the West Bank, challenging the authority of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
However, even as the prisoners were released, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group reported that 17 Palestinians were arrested on the same day.
(Note: This news article has been sourced from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff, except for the headline.)
