Israel frees 39 Palestinian prisoners in Gaza hostage deal
Israel frees 39 Palestinian prisoners in Gaza hostage deal
Israel on Friday (Nov 24) freed 39 Palestinian women and children from prisons in exchange for the first wave of hostages released by the Hamas in Gaza.
The detainees were welcomed by cheering crowds across the West Bank and some marching in the street carrying Palestinian flags.
A few of them also carried the flag of the Hamas group amid chantsin support of Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson of the group's armed wing.
"I am happy but my liberation came at the price of the blood of the martyrs," said Marah Bakir, 24, referring to the nearly 15,000 deaths across the Gaza Strip that its Hamas-led government says were caused by Israel's military offensive.
Freedom from "the four walls of the prison" is "magnificent", said Bakir, who had been in custody for eight years.
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"I spent the end of my childhood and my adolescence in prison, far from my parents and their hugs," she told news agency AFP after returning to her family home in Beit Hanina in annexed east Jerusalem.
"That's how it is with a state that oppresses us."
A total of 39 Palestinian women and minors, who were detained in Israel on various charges, were released under the deal brokered by Qatar to pause the fighting in Gaza.
On the other hand, as a part of the agreement, 24 hostages were released by the Hamas group on Friday, which included 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino.
Thirteen Israeli hostages were first handed over to the Red Cross, which then placed them in the custody of Israeli forces after a medical examination.
They entered Egypt through the Rafah crossing and were then handed over to the Israeli forces.
Nearly more than 100 Palestinian prisoners are scheduled to be released over the coming four days and more may be released if the truce is extended.
Some detainees hail Hamas for their release
Hanan Al-Barghouti, aged 58, who was released after two months in Israeli custody, praised Hamas, its leader, and the people of Gaza.
"May God reward them well on our behalf," news agency AFP quoted her as saying. "If it were not for the people of Gaza, we would not have seen freedom.
"We were inside the prison, eating bitterness. They were sadists. They insulted us and humiliated us, but our pride is high and our dignity is elevated, thanks to the resistance."
(With inputs from agencies)