Israel and Hamas declared a four-day truce following seven weeks of fighting. 39 Palestinian women and children were freed during this ceasefire. What is known about individuals who have been freed and those who may be freed in the next few days is included below. Early in the evening, they were moved from Israeli jails to the Ofer prison, which is under Israeli authority in the occupied West Bank. In return for Hamas releasing 50 of the women and children it captured during the raid, Israel has promised to free 150 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons.
However, a list of 300 Palestinian inmates that the Israeli Ministry of Justice is considering for release was presented. With the agreement allowing for an additional day of combat respite for every ten prisoners that Hamas releases, it is unclear if this is an offer for a possible second wave of swaps.
Background on Palestinian Prisoners
The thirty-three women on the list. The remaining names are mostly those of males between the ages of 16 and 18. On the list, though, are youngsters as young as 14. The majority of the detainees listed were taken into custody between 2021 and 2023.
In 2023 those arrested were taken. But it also includes people like Shorouq Dwayyat, who is currently serving the ninth year of a 16-year sentence after being captured in 2015. Dwayyat is the Palestinian woman incarcerated in Israeli prisons with the longest sentence presently serving. She was detained in the Damon jail in Haifa when she was eighteen years old, on suspicion of stabbing an Israeli settler with a knife. Eagerly awaiting her release, her family refutes these allegations. “Shorouq is sensitive and incapable of hurting an animal,” stated Salah Dwayyat, her father.
Israel’s Policy Shift
The primary charge for these detentions is “stone-throwing,” which carries a 20-year jail term for Palestinian youngsters, according to a July report by Save the youngsters, an organization dedicated to protecting children’s rights.
According to an article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, those convicted of murder cannot be freed from Israel, while those convicted of attempted murder may. As per the agreement, two Israeli prisons, Damon and Megiddo, southeast of Haifa, would be used to house Palestinian inmates. After that, they’ll be sent to the military Over jail in Israel. After being received, “the ones from Jerusalem will go to Jerusalem, and the ones from the West Bank will gather in Betunia municipal council where their families will be waiting,” stated Fares. From there, they will be given over to the International Committee of the Red Cross. In response to the release of detainees, Israel has prohibited celebrations in Palestinian towns.
Implications And Challenges
Palestinian inmates are housed in 19 jails in Israel and 1 in the occupied West Bank. There were over 5,200 Palestinians detained by Israel prior to October 7. But after the October 7 Hamas incident, the number of Palestinians detained increased dramatically to 3,000. 37 people who were detained following October 7 are journalists.
According to Addameer, a human rights organization that supports Palestinian prisoners, the majority of these journalists were placed under administrative detention, which entails holding them behind bars without accusation or trial for an unlimited period of time. In addition, Addameer revealed that inmates experience medical malpractice and physical abuse. An example of a prisoner with both asthma and a blood condition was given in the report. The prisoner sustained injuries from an assault, including cuts and bruises to his head and eyes. According to the group, since his arrest, this prisoner has shed 10 kg. Some Palestinian detainees have spent more than 30 years in Israeli prisons, dating back to the time when the Oslo Accords were formed. According to Samidoun, an international Palestinian prisoner support network, they are occasionally referred to as “deans of prisoners” in local contexts.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, Every year, the Israeli military tribunals try at least 700 Palestinian minors from the occupied West Bank who are under the age of eighteen and have been detained, questioned, and arrested by the Israeli army. According to Save the Children, children in Israeli prison frequently experience physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. Some also go without food, drink, or sleep. Though over five months into the conflict, Palestinians saw no shift in their divisive viewpoints, Israeli officials were scheduled to meet on Saturday to learn about potential developments in mediated discussions on a fresh Gaza truce to free captives held by Hamas.
In November, Israeli delegations convened in Paris with mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
