The occupation releases 90 Palestinian prisoners, including minors
Ninety Palestinians from the occupied West Bank have been freed from the Zionist occupation’s prisons in the first prisoner exchange of the Gaza ceasefire, and were greeted by crowds of thousands despite warnings from the occupation forces that celebrations would not be allowed.
At about 1 am local time on Monday (23:00 GMT), Red Cross buses carrying the 90 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, including 69 women and 21 teenage boys—some as young as 12.
Among them was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a leading member of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who had been held for six months in solitary confinement under “administrative detention,” which allows the occupation authorities to jail Palestinians indefinitely without charge or court verdict.
Hundreds of citizens and families of detainees gathered in Beitunia, west of Ramallah, to welcome their relatives released from Ofer prison. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported treating two individuals who were injured by live ammunition and were subsequently transferred to the hospital.
Earlier on Sunday, the Zionist occupation forces raided neighbourhoods in occupied AlQuds, where they stormed several homes belonging to Palestinian prisoners who were scheduled to be released under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to WAFA news agency.
During the raids, the occupation forces imposed strict restrictions on the families of the prisoners, prohibiting gatherings, the display of flags, and celebrations in anticipation of the prisoners’ release.
The total number of Palestinians to be released remains unclear, but could be between 990 and 1,650 detainees, including men, women, and children.
There are currently 10,400 Palestinians in “Israeli” prisons, not including those detained from Gaza during the last 15 months, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society.
