Germany Palestinians: Prisoners released from Israeli prisons
As part of the Gaza agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli prison authorities have released the first Palestinians from prison, according to Palestinian reports. Those released have arrived with their families in East Jerusalem, according to the press office of the Palestinian Authority.
19.01.2025, 20:25
SDA
There was initially no official confirmation from Israeli authorities. In return, the Islamist Hamas had initially released three female Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip. In total, around 90 Palestinian prisoners were to be released from Israeli prisons in exchange for the three hostages held by Hamas - most of them women and minors.
In the first phase of the agreement, 33 hostages are to be exchanged for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners. According to Israeli government figures, the Palestinians in question are 1,167 arrested residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023. This is likely to mainly concern Hamas fighters who were captured during more than 15 months of fighting.
The other 737 Palestinians to be released are prisoners who were imprisoned or convicted for minor offenses such as throwing stones in the West Bank or illegally crossing the border, as well as illegal possession of weapons or other violations of the law. However, these also include prisoners serving time for serious crimes such as murder.
According to reports, Israel wants to prevent any celebrations after the prisoners are released. Families have reportedly been threatened with punishment if they hold celebrations. Only parents and siblings will be allowed to welcome the released Palestinians.
