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A temporary ceasefire of four days has begun, during which 50 Israeli hostages will be released in return for 150 Palestinians who are currently held in prisons in Israel.
The initial two batches of captives, consisting of 26 Israeli females and children who were being held by Hamas fighters in Gaza, were set free on Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, 78 Palestinian females and minors – three for every Israeli – were scheduled to be freed from Israeli prisons. The prisoners were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross and assembled at Israel’s Ofer military jail before being released to return home.
Marah Bakir, a former Palestinian detainee who was freed by Israeli authorities, is seen at her residence in east Jerusalem with her family.
The recent event has brought attention to the situation of Palestinian women and minors who are imprisoned in Israel. There has been an increase in arrests since Hamas’s violent attack on October 7th, and there are allegations of unjust detention and unfair trials – which Israel strongly refutes.
After the announcement of a ceasefire agreement, Israel published a list of 300 names in Hebrew of prisoners who would potentially be released. Israel also stated that the ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, could be prolonged by one day for every 10 additional Israeli hostages released.
Together, there will also be a release of more Palestinians. Israel has stated that it will not include prisoners who were convicted of murder on the list of releases, but those who were convicted of attempted murder may be included.
The Israeli government representative, Eylon Levy, blamed the Palestinian inmates who are scheduled to be freed, stating on Sky News that they were found guilty of carrying out stabbing and shooting assaults.
Hanna Barghouti, a female Palestinian who was previously imprisoned, is seen wearing a Hamas headband as she is welcomed by supporters upon her return to the town of Beitunia in the West Bank.
(C) 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
There are 123 minors on the list, including a 14-year-old who was taken into custody in May for committing “sabotage activity, assaulting a police officer, and throwing stones.” He is one of five minors who are also 14 years old.
Hanan Saleh Barghouti, who is 59 years old, is the oldest person on the list. She was arrested in September and released on Friday. She was one of many individuals detained without trial or charge, known as administrative detention, which has been deemed by international and Palestinian rights organizations as potentially arbitrary and a violation of international law.
According to human rights organizations, there has been a significant increase in the number of Palestinian arrests since Hamas’ violent attack on southern Israel on October 7th, with approximately 240 people being abducted.
The organization Addameer, which advocates for Palestinian rights, informed The Independent that they have recorded over 3,100 instances of Palestinian arrests, including 100 women and 40 journalists.
Approximately 80% of individuals who were detained after 7 October are currently in administrative detention, including Hanan. It is estimated that there are currently 7,000 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons, including 200 minors and 62 women.
Palestinian ex-detainees were set free on the initial day of a four-day truce agreement between Israel and Hamas.
(C) 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Israeli correctional system reported that over 6,000 Palestinian individuals are currently incarcerated in Israel. The Israeli armed forces have consistently stated that they are carrying out counterterrorism operations and detaining individuals suspected of committing acts of terror.
According to Amnesty International, at this moment, over 2,000 Palestinians are currently in administrative detention, a historic peak and a notable rise from the previously recorded 1,300 detentions before October 7th.
The rights group stated in a recent report that Israel uses administrative detention as a means of enforcing apartheid against Palestinians. Israel refutes this description.
According to the report, there is increasing evidence of torture in recent weeks, with detainees being physically assaulted and degraded. Israel strongly refutes these claims.
On Friday, a transport vehicle for Israeli prisons transported Palestinian prisoners who were released by the Israeli authorities from Ofer military prison near Jerusalem.
The Independent has gathered accounts from Palestinians about Israelis in military attire physically attacking, undressing, urinating on, and trying to sexually assault Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The military has stated that it is looking into this incident. This comes after other videos depicting violence, which the military has denounced as unacceptable and in violation of their protocols.
Tala Nasir, a representative from Addameer, reported that they have recorded six instances of prisoners and detainees passing away while in Israeli custody since October 7th. Of these cases, two involved individuals from the Gaza Strip who were detained in military detention centers and not allowed to communicate with the outside world.
Last month, the International Committee for the Red Cross announced that Palestinian prisoners have not been allowed to communicate with their families or attorneys since October 7th.
Addameer reported that approximately 3,000 laborers from Gaza who were present in Israel during the attack were arrested and subsequently sent back to Gaza via the Karem Abu Salem crossing. However, around 700 workers’ whereabouts are still uncertain according to Addameer.
Source: independent.co.uk
