On Saturday, Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for four female Israeli soldiers who had been held captive by Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attack.
This marked the second prisoner exchange under the fragile ceasefire deal brokered earlier this month, which paused the long war in Gaza. The deal includes provisions for the gradual release of dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and the allowing of humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza.
The 200 Palestinian prisoners released Saturday included 121 individuals serving life sentences, as well as 79 others serving long sentences. Among them, the youngest prisoner was only 15 years old, while the oldest was 69. Additionally, 70 of the released prisoners were deported, with Egypt temporarily hosting them for 48 hours before transferring them to Tunisia, Algeria, and Turkey, which have agreed to receive them.
The release sparked jubilant celebrations in Ramallah, where thousands of Palestinians gathered to welcome the return of the prisoners. Crowds cheered, waved flags, and flashed victory signs as buses carrying the freed detainees arrived. Many prisoners, appearing gaunt after their time in detention, were lifted onto shoulders in symbolic celebration.
Nearly every Palestinian has friends or relatives who have been detained by Israeli authorities at some point.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that displaced Palestinians in Gaza would not yet be allowed to return to the northern part of the territory as there is one hostage who should have been released today by Hamas and was not.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced from northern Gaza, with many anticipating their return. The Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza is also expected to open soon to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Source: Tovima.com
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