Thousands of Palestinians Welcomed Freed Detainees Under Ceasefire Deal
Cairo, Ramallah (AP) – Spontaneous celebrations erupted in Ramallah and Gaza as thousands of Palestinians welcomed the release of 200 prisoners freed under a ceasefire deal between Palestine and Israel. The deal also saw the return of four Israeli hostages.
In Ramallah, crowds erupted into cheers and chanting as freed detainees were carried on the shoulders of protesters while waving Palestinian flags and insignia of various factions. In Gaza, thousands thronged the European Hospital, where 16 freed detainees arrived for medical checks, chanting “Allahu Akbar” and “Greeting to Qassam Brigades (Hamas armed wing)”.
Ikhlas Balousha, a Gazan woman, expressed her gratitude for her brother’s release, saying it brought a sense of dignity and joy despite the difficulties faced in the enclave. “A feeling of victory despite the pain – a moment when you could have been a martyr, but praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, who allowed us to see him,” she said.
The released prisoners include militants, some serving life sentences for involvement in attacks that killed dozens of people. Those deemed the most dangerous by Israel were taken to Egypt before being exiled to a third country.
Mohammad Al-Arda, who spent 21 years in prison for membership in Islamic Jihad, expressed his relief at being released, saying he was confident of freedom returning. “I swear to God that when I saw the happiness of my people I became happy too, a happiness that words can’t describe,” he said.
Israel has stated that those convicted of killing Israelis will not be permitted to return home, while around 70 will be deported to Egypt and potentially to Turkey, Qatar, or Algeria. Palestinians refer to prisoners as “heroes” and “freedom fighters.”
Naser Dawoud, a Hamas militant who served 21 years in prison, could not believe his name was among those to be freed, saying, “I am a human being and was sentenced for life, I didn’t expect this to happen, there were some efforts before, but this time God blessed us.”
Medics at the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis began checking the health of the newly-released prisoners as thousands in Gaza flocked to welcome them, chanting and waving flags. A statement by Hamas claimed it had preserved the well-being of the Israeli hostages, who were freed alongside the prisoners.
As a result of the ceasefire deal, hundreds of thousands of north Gaza residents are expected to be allowed to return home, but the process has been hampered by a stampede on a road leading to the north, where at least one person was killed and two others injured.
