Israel Releases 183 Palestinian Prisoners Including 18 Serving Life Terms

Crowds welcome Palestinian prisoners as hostage-swap deal proceeds Saturday.

Seven Palestinian prisoners required immediate hospitalization Saturday upon their release from Israeli prisons, where they endured months of reported systematic abuse and brutality.

By Adil Faouzi

Doha – Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, including 18 individuals serving life sentences, as part of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreement. The release came in exchange for three Israeli hostages freed by Hamas.

Among those released, 111 Palestinians were captured by Israeli forces during the current genocide in Gaza, while 72 were arrested before October 7, 2023.

The Palestinian Authority’s Commission of Detainees’ Affairs reported that 42 of the released prisoners were from the West Bank, three from East Jerusalem, and 27 from Gaza.

The Palestinian Red Crescent medical service reported that seven of the released prisoners required immediate hospitalization due to their deteriorating health conditions.

Abdullah al-Zaghari from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club stated, “All the prisoners who were released today are in need of medical care, treatment, and examinations as a result of the brutality they were subjected to during the past months.”

Among the prominent figures released was Iyad Abu Shkeidem, 49, from Hebron, who had been serving 18 life sentences for his role in planning a 2004 bombing in Beersheba.

Another notable release was Hatem al-Jayousi, 52, from Tulkarem, who was serving six life sentences since his arrest in 2003.

Senior Hamas official Jamal Taweel, 61, the former mayor of Al-Bireh, was also among those freed. Taweel, who has spent nearly two decades in and out of Israeli prisons, was reunited with his daughter Bushra, who was released in an earlier prisoner exchange in January.

The released prisoners arriving in the West Bank were greeted by large crowds waving Palestinian flags at a Ramallah community center. Seven of the released individuals are scheduled for deportation, reportedly due to their leadership potential or technical expertise.

According to the Israeli human rights organization B’tselem, Israel was holding 9,440 Palestinians in either detention or prison as of June 2024. Many Palestinians are held without trial under what Israel terms “administrative detention.”

This exchange is part of the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, which aims to see Hamas release a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. So far, 21 hostages and 566 prisoners have been freed since the ceasefire began on January 19.

The Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 47,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive, with the United Nations indicating that about two-thirds of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Today’s releases came as US President Donald Trump continued to promote his controversial proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza, characterizing it as a “real estate transaction” to redevelop the Strip as an international travel destination.

Regional Arab governments and Palestinians have strongly rejected the plan, with the latter arguing that forcing them from their homes would constitute ethnic cleansing.

Two buses carrying freed prisoners arrived at the European Hospital in Khan Younis via the Kerem Shalom crossing, where thousands gathered to welcome them.

The IOF reported that troops were operating in the West Bank to prevent celebrations, with soldiers seizing Hamas flags and other items that would have been used in parades.

© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Support

Your support allows us to continue delivering quality journalism that is accessible to audiences across the globe. Every contribution, however big or small, is valuable for our mission and readers.

Source Morocco world News.