Hamas released three other Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip in the sixth exchange of this type after the days of tense negotiations that threatened to cancel the precarious ceasefire.
In return, Israel began to return 369 Palestinian prisoners detained on Saturday in Israeli prisons, most of them without any accusation or conviction. It is the greatest number of Palestinians to be released since the start of the truce.
Images have shown a bus of Palestinian prisoners from Oger prison arriving in Ramallah in an occupied West Bank, where they were welcomed by parents and acclaim supporters. More buses full of Palestinians withdrew from an Israeli prison in the Negev desert towards Gaza.
At least four of the liberateds were immediately brought to the hospital to be treated there. Among the most important to free up, Ahmed Barghouti, 48, a close assistant to the emblematic Palestinian figure Marwan Barghouti.
Most prisoners have been arrested in Gaza and will be returned to the besieged enclave. About 10 will be released in occupied West Bank, one in East East Jerusalem, the others being sent to Egypt and later in other countries that will accept them.
A number of elderly prisoners were among those released, including a 70 -year -old man. Some seemed to be emaciated and others severe when they came out of the buses, while some smiled and flashed the sign of victory.
A certain number of Palestinians have brought their shirts backwards to cover the messages after the penitentiary service of Israel made them take outfits with a star of David Logo who said: “We will not forget or n ‘ Don’t forget ”in Arabic.
Liberated Palestinian prisoner, Amir Amir Radah, told Tel Aviv Tribune that he had spent 18 months in the Nafha desert prison in Israel where the authorities cut water and electricity.
“Our conditions in prison were extremely difficult and no one could bear them. For a year and a half, we have had no means of communication and we have been isolated from the world, “said Abu Radah.
‘Finish the ceasefire’
The Three Captives in Gaza-Identified as American-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen, Russian-Israeli Alexander Sasha Trufanov, and Argentinian-Israeli Yair Horn-Were Freed to Members of the International Committee of the Red Cross During a Brief Ceremony in Gaza’s Southern City from Khan Younis.
All three were among those taken by Hamas after his attack on October 7 against southern Israel.
Dekel-Chen, Trufanov and Horn were seen bearing certificates for their release and their Palestine cards. They were transported to Israel for medical examinations before finding their families.
A crowd gathered on such Aviv “hostages square” to watch the exchange, with many flags and Israeli posters with messages such as “sorry and welcome” and “complete the ceasefire”.
With the transfer of Saturday, the number of captives published by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic jihad has reached 25 since the start of the ceasefire on January 19.
Dozens of fighters armed with Islamic Hamas and Jihad kept the place where the transfer took place. Hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including women, children and the elderly, gathered behind the safety cord trying to attend the Liberation.
Tarek Abu Azzoum of Tel Aviv Tribune, postponing from the Khan Younis site, described the liberation as “highly coordinated” and “marked by a strict security protocol and a symbolic display of power”.
“What will happen next?”
Hamas published a statement after the press release saying that it was “a renewed message” to Israel.
“The release of the sixth batch of enemy prisoners confirms that there is no way to release them, except by negotiations and by joining the requirements of the cease-fire agreement,” said the group.
Muhanad Seloom, of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said that Tel Aviv Tribune so far, the two parties at the cease-fire wanted to stick to the agreement.
“Difficult negotiations would be what comes after the first phase. Although the accent is put on the release of the hostages, the main question should be what will happen the next day? He said.
“What we see now is that Hamas sticks to the end of the agreement. Israel is more elusive on this subject, which indicates that it may not be attached to the second phase. »»
‘No migration except in Jerusalem’
Uri Dromi, a retired Israeli colonel, said: “Each Israeli is glued to their television screen” watching the transfer.
“At the same time, people look beyond the current event and wonder here what will happen in Gaza the next day,” he told Tel Aviv Tribune de Tel Aviv.
Referring to the proposal of the American president Donald Trump to withdraw all the Palestinians from Gaza, he added: “I hope to see a change in the region – a better future for the inhabitants of Gaza. As long as Hamas and Islamic Jihad shoot the strings there, this will not happen. »»
Trump’s proposal to force Palestinians has been refused by groups and Palestinian countries in the region.
“We say to the whole world: there is no migration except towards Jerusalem, and it is our response to all the calls for displacement and liquidation launched by Trump and those who support his approach to the forces of colonialism and occupation, “said Hamas.