Israel has begun the release of 39 Palestinian prisoners as part of a swap deal with Hamas. This comes after Hamas released 13 Israelis and four foreigners in the second round of swaps under a ceasefire agreement. Initially, Hamas had delayed the exchange, claiming that Israel had violated the terms of the truce deal.
The released prisoners, including four Thais, have been transferred to Israel and are being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families. A video released by Hamas showed the hostages appearing shaken but mostly in good physical condition as they were led to Red Cross vehicles headed out of Gaza. Some of the hostages waved goodbye to the militants as they left the enclave.
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One of the released prisoners, Nurhan Awad, received a hero’s welcome at the Qalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem. Awad had been sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in jail for attempting to stab an Israeli soldier with a pair of scissors when she was 17 years old.
Another released prisoner, Shurouq Duwiyat, arrived at her home in Jerusalem where she was greeted by joyous family members. Duwiyat expressed her support for the people of Gaza and thanked everyone for their support.
Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, Israeli troops evicted journalists who had gathered outside the home of Israa Jaabis, who had been imprisoned since 2015 for carrying out separate attacks on Israelis.
Hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank town of Beitunia eagerly awaited the arrival of additional prisoners. The Israeli hostages released by Hamas included seven children and six women. Most of them were from Kibbutz Be’eri, a community that was attacked by Hamas militants on October 7.
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For the residents of Be’eri, the release of the hostages was bittersweet. Many of them had lost family members in the attack or had loved ones still in captivity in Gaza.
The ceasefire deal is set to last four days, during which Hamas is expected to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel will free 150 Palestinian prisoners, all of whom are women and minors. The truce can be extended if more hostages are released.
The war in Gaza has also led to an increase in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Four Palestinians were reportedly killed in an Israeli military raid in the city of Jenin, and a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli fire near Ramallah.
