RAMALLAH, West Bank — On Saturday, Israel executed the release of 183 Palestinian prisoners as part of an agreement that saw the return of three Israeli hostages held in Gaza. This release marked a notable advancement in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which have been in effect for nearly two weeks.
As part of the agreement, the Saturday prisoner release included some of the 1,000 detainees from Gaza, which Israel has committed to freeing during the first phase of the deal. The condition for this release was that these individuals had not participated in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that precipitated the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Among those released were 111 Palestinians who had been detained on suspicions of militancy and subsequently held without trial since the day after the attack. The other 72 individuals were arrested prior to the war, either from the West Bank or Gaza, and had been serving lengthy prison sentences, some facing life sentences for fatal attacks on Israelis. The prisoners ranged in age from 30 to 66 years old.
This release has highlighted Israel’s extensive campaigns of detaining males in Gaza during the preceding 15-month military operations targeting Hamas. Many of those detained were transported to Israeli facilities.
Visuals of confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinians, illustrating men in degrading conditions, have triggered alarm from human rights organizations, including the U.N. The Israeli military stated that such arrests are necessary to counteract those suspected of ties to Hamas and other militia groups.
In the West Bank, jubilant crowds welcomed the bus transporting released prisoners from Ofer prison near Ramallah. Family members and supporters celebrated by lifting the freed individuals into the air, exclaiming phrases of victory and gratitude. Many emotional reunions unfolded as wives and children embraced their long-missed relatives.
“It’s an indescribable feeling, and unquestionably a feeling of mixed emotions,” commented Mohammad Kaskus, released after 25 years for his involvement in attacks against Israelis. “We’ve left behind our brothers who are still imprisoned, suffering from neglect and mistreatment.”
In response to criticisms regarding conditions in detention, the Israeli Prison Service asserted that all prisoners are held in accordance with the law, claiming that they have access to essential rights and protections enforced by trained staff.
An additional seven prisoners were scheduled for transfer to Egypt prior to their deportation. Meanwhile, the remaining released individuals arrived at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, where family, friends, and media representatives awaited their arrival. The ex-prisoners expressed their joy by waving to the gathered crowd from the buses, as relatives clamored to touch their hands.
Recent news highlighted key individuals among the prisoners set free since the ceasefire commenced on January 19. For instance, Mohammed el-Halabi, the Palestinian manager of World Vision in Gaza, was detained in 2016 over alleged financial misconduct involving the organization and Hamas. He vehemently denied these allegations, and due to systemic issues in the judicial process, it was concluded that he did not receive a fair trial.
Shadi Amouri, another individual freed, was known for his involvement in a deadly bombing over two decades ago that claimed numerous Israeli lives. His family expressed mixed feelings regarding his release, hoping it could have occurred in their homeland.
Meanwhile, Zakaria Zubeidi, a former militant and cultural leader, became renowned for his dramatic escape from prison in 2021, capturing the attention of Palestinians. Though he faced legal troubles again, he asserted that he had moved away from militancy to prioritize political activism.
Among others released was Mohammed Abu Warda, a former Hamas member involved in catastrophic suicide bombings, who had been serving multiple life sentences since his arrest in 2002. Alongside him, individuals like Mohammed Aradeh, known for his attempts to orchestrate a historic prison break, were welcomed back, eliciting cheers from supporters.
This trend of release also included members of the Abu Hamid family, known for their militant activities and whose matriarch has faced tremendous loss through both imprisonment and death attributed to Israeli actions. Lastly, Mohammad al-Tous, noted as one of the longest-held prisoners, also returned home after decades of incarceration, emphasizing ongoing tensions and complexities surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
