Israel has released 90 Palestinian prisoners, seven hours after three Israeli hostages were freed by Hamas and returned to Israel.
A large bus carrying dozens of Palestinian prisoners left the gates of Israel’s Ofer prison in the early hours of Monday, near the West Bank city of Ramallah.
According to a list provided by the Palestinian Authority’s Prisoners’ Affairs Commission, all of those released were women or minors.
Israel had been holding them for what it says are national security-related offenses, ranging from throwing stones to more serious charges such as attempted murder. The release comes on the second day of a three-phase ceasefire that began Sunday morning.
After a delay of several hours, a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has come into effect. The first phase of the 42-day ceasefire includes a hostage and prisoner exchange, a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the first wave of humanitarian aid. When it comes to the exchange, according to Hamas’s calculations, one hostage is worth 30 Palestinians, so in exchange for the three hostages who were released today – Romy Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher – the Israelis “paid” with 90 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, most of whom are women, 69 of them. Hundreds of family members of the hostages and citizens gathered in Tel Aviv to celebrate their return.
“We would not have reached an agreement under these conditions if Hamas had not been in such a difficult situation, and we see that. We are proud to take a step back to reach out and return dozens of hostages alive, and we will also be proud and determined to return to the fight when necessary,” said Herzi Halevi, Israel’s Chief of Staff.
“We are determined to implement the points of this agreement, which is the result of the enormous patience and resistance of our people. Our heroic prisoners will begin to regain their freedom from today. The entire world should admire the legendary resilience of the people of Gaza. They should recognize the patience and sacrifice that the people of Gaza have shown for 471 days,” said Abu Ubeida, the leader of the military wing of Hamas.
After 471 days, or 15 months of war, Palestinians are celebrating and returning to what they call home – the ruins of the Gaza Strip.
“Where will we live? In our destroyed house, in ruins, we will set up a tent and live in it. We won’t find the palace when we get back. There is nothing in the north. There are no buildings or houses where people can live,” says Ismail al-Shafi, displaced from Beit Lahia.
“We want to sit on the ground between the graves there. We want to pitch a tent and settle down. I swear, I’m bored. My life has been completely destroyed, this is a disaster,” said Mazoza al-Shadi, a displaced Palestinian woman from Beit Lahia.
Humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip has been a daily occurrence for some time. Humanitarian convoys are arriving, but the quantities of humanitarian aid are not yet sufficient for the huge number of hungry, wounded and those in need of medical assistance.
“We need field hospitals, in Rafah we need at least three. In Gaza City at least five. In the north of Gaza also at least three so that the health system could start to recover. Most of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip have been completely destroyed and need to be rebuilt,” said Marwan el-Hams, director of Abu Yusuf Al-Najjar Hospital.
If the truce holds, the second and third phases will follow. The second will be for the exchange of remaining prisoners and hostages, and the third for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, where 46,913 Palestinians were killed in 15 months. This number and more than 100,000 wounded Palestinians speak volumes about the scale of Israeli crimes in the war that, despite the ceasefire, has not yet ended.
Photo: Federalna
