Hebron: Israeli occupation forces stormed the houses of two newly-released prisoners in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday evening, according to local sources. The forces, accompanied by a bulldozer, entered the vicinity of Ibn Rushed Circle, forcing local storeowners to close their businesses while opening gunfire.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the forces then broke into the houses of Mashhur al-Rajabi and Ahmad Yaqin al-Ja'bari, both released as part of the second batch under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and threatened to rearrest them if public celebrations were held in their honor. The forces have also threatened reprisals against the families of prisoners to prevent any public displays of joy.
In a related development, four Israeli female soldiers were released to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday, followed by Israel releasing 200 Palestinian prisoners as per the ceasefire agreement. Three buses carrying 114 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah, where they were greeted by crowds lining the streets.
The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) reported that among those released were Mohammed al-Tous, who has spent the longest continuous period in Israeli detention at 69 years old, and Mohammad Arda, one of the six prisoners who briefly escaped from the high-security Gilboa prison in 2021. Additionally, 16 prisoners have been transferred to the Gaza Strip, while 70 others, including those serving life sentences, have been released into Egypt.
The ceasefire agreement stipulates that Israel is to free 50 Palestinian prisoners for each Israeli female soldier released. Saturday's exchange marked the second swap since the ceasefire began on January 19, following an earlier exchange involving the release of three Israeli female civilians in return for 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel's 15-month aggression on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 47,283 Palestinians and injuries to over 111,472 others. Additionally, around 10,000 people remain unaccounted for, presumed dead beneath the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip. Palestinian and international organizations report that the majority of casualties are women and children.
The aggression has also caused the displacement of nearly two million people from across the Gaza Strip, with most forced into the overcrowded southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border, marking the largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.