Israel released 39 Palestinian teenagers and women on Saturday, as part of a larger agreement that also saw the return of 26 Israeli hostages taken on October 7, bringing the total number of Palestinians released during the temporary ceasefire to 78.
The joyous return of the released individuals was, however, marred by a delay in the exchange process. Hamas accused Israel of altering the agreed-upon list of prisoners set for release. Additionally, there were concerns about the adequacy of aid shipments guaranteed access to Gaza as part of the deal. Despite these challenges, last-minute mediation involving Qatar and Egypt ensured that the handover proceeded.
Israel refuted claims of violating the ceasefire terms, which had entered its third day on Sunday. A crowd, including some waving Hamas flags, welcomed the coach carrying the released Palestinians as it traversed the West Bank, where detainees were being returned to their families.
Of the released individuals, six were women, and the rest were under the age of 18. Mohammad dar-Darwish, a 17-year-old detainee, expressed being “dizzy with happiness” upon his return. He had been held in an Israeli jail for seven months, accused of throwing a petrol bomb at soldiers, a charge he denies.
Notably, Israel has identified a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners, predominantly teenage boys, eligible for release under the agreement with Hamas. Most of them are awaiting trial, with less than a quarter having been convicted.
Among the adult women released was Israa Jaabis, sentenced to 11 years in 2015 for an incident Israel deemed an attempted car bombing. Jaabis, now 38, denied the charge, claiming her car caught fire due to an engine fault. Despite suffering serious facial burns, her request for surgery was turned down by Israeli prison authorities. Her emotional reunion with her son, Mua’tassim, was captured after eight years into her sentence.
Some released individuals were arrested as children. Marah Bakeer, sentenced to eight-and-a-half years for a knife attack at the age of 16, expressed her emotions upon reuniting with her family in East Jerusalem. Another freed individual, Nourhan Awad, 23, served eight years of her 10-year sentence for a stabbing incident in Jerusalem. She was shot during her arrest, and her cousin was killed during the same incident. Awad, seen running to her family in Qalandia, West Bank, stated her intention to visit her cousin’s grave before returning home.
