Celebrations as released Palestinian prisoners return
The Israeli Prison Service has said that all 200 Palestinian prisoners due to be released today have been freed.
About half of them will be allowed to return home to their homes in the West Bank.
Seventy prisoners – who have been convicted of the most serious offences – will be deported via Egypt to neighbouring countries like Qatar and Turkey, and a small number will be sent to Gaza.
About 121 of the Palestinians released this week were serving life sentences.
Here’s a look at the scene on the ground as people reunite with their families.
Release Palestinian prisoner in grey prison clothes has an emotional hug with a woman wearing a pink hijab. They are both in a crowd.Image source, Reuters
Three released Palestinian prisoners in a white bus lean out of the window, where there is a crowd. One of them is doing a peace sign with his right hand, and all three of them are wearing grey prison clothes.
A woman wearing a black hijab and a man wearing a brown jumper put their hands on a released Palestinian prisoner’s face. The released Palestinian prisoner is smiling and is wearing grey prison clothes.
A released Palestinian prisoner is being carried on someone’s shoulders above a crowd next to a white bus. He is doing a peace sign with both of his hands and he is wearing grey prison clothes.Image source, Reuters
Professor Levine stands in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. He is wearing wire-frame glasses and a blue shirt with a yellow sticker.
Prof Levine wears a yellow sticker marking the number of days hostages have been held captive by Hamas since the 7 October attack
Among the hundreds who gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to watch the release of the four Israeli hostages on a large screen was Prof Hagai Levine, head of the health team at the Israeli Hostages and Missing Families’ Forum.
He is encouraged by the young women’s good physical appearance. “We saw them walking, understanding what was going on, also their body language was positive,” he tells me.
However, he warns that the four soldiers will still have to undergo a full medical assessment, adding: “a good appearance doesn’t necessarily say what’s going on inside the body and soul.”
The group he is part of has led advocacy for hostage families and provided psychological help. Prof Levine says this has been invaluable.
He says the dozens of Israelis still held captive in Gaza desperately needed to come home.
“I’m very concerned that these coming weeks may be the last chance for some of the hostages, so we need to complete the deal and release all of them.”
source BBC
