The Israeli military administration in the West Bank released after midnight on Sunday, 39 Palestinian women and children who were held in Israeli prisons.
UPDATE: Al-Qassam Brigades releases a video of Israeli women and children, in addition to international workers being released.
UPDATE: Israel military continues to surround the house of Palestinian prisoner Israa’ Ja’abis, attacking journalists who attempted to cover the news of her arrival.
UPDATE: A bus carrying freed Palestinian children arrived at Beitunia near Ramallah, where they were received by hundreds of Palestinians raising flags and banners, while chanting for Palestinian freedom.
A bus carrying 33 freed Palestinian children arrived in the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah, where they were received by hundreds of Palestinians, raising flags and banners while chanting for Palestinian freedom.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 25, 2023
The freeing of the Palestinian civilians came a short while after the release of 13 Israeli prisoners, also women and children, by Al-Qassam Brigades on Saturday night.
In the second batch of released captives, Al-Qassam has also released four Thai workers.
The released Palestinian detainees include iconic Palestinian prisoner Israa’ Ja’abis.
They also include 33 children, held contrary to international law, based on what is known in Israel as administrative detention.
Shortly before the release of the Palestinian women and children, Israeli forces reportedly attacked families and supporters who gathered outside the homes of some of the freed prisoners.
‘No Pain like Mine’: The Story of Palestinian Prisoner Israa’ Ja’abis
Attacking Families
Aran and international media said that the house of Israa’ Ja’abis in occupied East Jerusalem, Al-Quds, has come under attack twice this evening.
Al-Jazeera and other media also reported that Israeli forces fired teargas canisters at hundreds of Palestinians who gathered outside the Ofer prison, between Ramallah and Beitunia, to receive the liberated women and children.
Several Palestinians were hospitalized after being attacked by Israeli soldiers.
Today’s prisoner swap was delayed by several hours when Al-Qassam Brigades accused Israel of violating the terms of the temporary truce agreement.
Israeli occupation forces released Shorok Dwayat as part of the temporary ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 25, 2023
Israeli Violations
Those violations, according to Hamas, included the prevention of aid from reaching northern Gaza, the reduction of aid trucks entering Gaza through the Rafah crossing and the continued use of drones by the Israeli military.
The truce agreement, whose implementation began on Friday at 7 am, called for cessation of hostilities, prisoner swaps, the allowing of a fixed number of aid trucks to enter Gaza and the equal distribution of aid to all Palestinians in the devastated Strip.
It also stipulated that Israel would cease all flights over southern Gaza and to limit flights over northern Gaza to six hours a day.
The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera reported that a series of telephone calls took place involving US President Joe Biden himself, which ultimately allowed the agreement to move forward.
AL-JAZEERA: Israeli occupation fires gas bombs around the Ofer Prison in the West Bank.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 25, 2023
Turkiye’s Role
According to a statement by Hamas, Turkiye also played an important role. “In response to the efforts of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas has completed the release of Thai detainees inside the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
Hamas had already offered to release all international prisoners that it was holding in Gaza, stating that they were all seized in the rush of events on October 7, and that it had expected no political returns for their release.
The movement has also accused Israel of rejecting the release of the internationals, along with elderly Israelis, on humanitarian grounds.
The four-day truce is scheduled to end on Monday, but is renewable to two-day periods if both parties agreed to continue with more prisoner swaps.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
