Jerusalem – With tears of pleasure rolling down her cheeks, and a glance of utter disbelief, Sawsan Bakeer ran down a flight of steps to greet her 24-year-old daughter, Marah, who had simply been launched after eight years in an Israeli jail.
Marah Bakeer is considered one of 39 Palestinian girls and kids launched from Israeli prisons on Friday in alternate for 13 Hamas captives underneath a Qatar-mediated deal that features a four-day truce in Gaza.
“I told you Marah is beautiful,” Sawsan advised journalists, as she hugged her daughter and showered her with countless kisses. “Not because she’s my daughter, really, but Marah is beautiful, and you got to see for yourself.”
Earlier than her imprisonment, Bakeer was a 16-year-old highschool pupil at al-Maimouna College in occupied East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.
Daily, she would make her manner from the household residence in Beit Hanina to high school, crossing an expressway that runs between East and West Jerusalem.
Whereas on her manner residence on October 12, 2015, Israeli forces shot and arrested her for allegedly trying to stab an Israeli officer. Bakeer and her household deny the accusations.
When she was arrested, Bakeer was mendacity on the pavement with 12 gunshot wounds to her arm and hand which have left her with everlasting injury. She was sentenced to eight years and 6 months in jail.
A toddler when imprisoned, Bakeer was because of full her sentence and return residence in 4 months’ time.
‘I needed my mother’s love’
Newly freed, Bakeer advised Al Jazeera that her time in jail was onerous, however that she had endured it along with her religion in God and the help of her household and fellow Palestinian prisoners.
“There have been many tough occasions in jail, however similar to anybody else going by way of life, they handed.
“Jail was particularly tough as a result of I used to be younger [when I was jailed] and I wanted my mom’s love and my household’s help.
“Although there were many fellow prisoners who took care of me and helped me, nothing can replace a mother’s love,” she mentioned as Sawsan held onto her.
About 8,000 Palestinians stay in Israeli jails, together with 3,000 who’ve been detained over the previous seven weeks amid an rising variety of armed Israeli raids throughout the West Financial institution.
Over the subsequent 4 days, 150 Palestinian prisoners and 50 Israeli hostages are to be freed.
Solitary confinement earlier than launch
Through the years of her imprisonment, Bakeer has grow to be one thing of a political determine, representing all feminine prisoners earlier than the administration at Damon jail in northern Israel, the place feminine Palestinian prisoners and minors are detained.
Following the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel moved Bakeer, together with different jail leaders, to a different jail, in Jalame, and positioned her in solitary confinement.
For greater than six weeks, she was not permitted to speak along with her fellow inmates nor obtain any info from the surface world.
“It was a very difficult time because they kept me away from the rest, and it was during the war. I didn’t know what was happening to them and that really affected me,” she advised Al Jazeera.
“What was even harder, was that I didn’t know anything about my family. But I knew God would protect them,” she added.
Bakeer was taken out of her cell on Wednesday however says she was not advised what was taking place.
“When I didn’t go back to my cell, I knew there was a deal being negotiated, but I had no idea what the details were,” she defined.
She was solely knowledgeable on Friday morning that she was going to be leaving jail.
No celebrations, Israel orders households
Forward of Bakeer’s launch, her household mentioned they didn’t have any details about when she can be coming residence till Israeli forces stormed their residence and requested all relations and friends to depart. They warned in opposition to any present of pleasure or celebration upon Bakeer’s arrival, the household mentioned.
Bakeer’s father, Jawdat, was taken for questioning at a police station in Jerusalem and warned in opposition to the household exhibiting any indicators of pleasure about Marah’s launch.
“Marah came home to us today. We’ve just received her but they [Israeli forces] threatened to storm the house and arrest me if we celebrate,” he advised Al Jazeera.
Israeli forces additionally blocked all entry to the neighbourhood the place Bakeer’s household house is situated. They’ve stationed troopers in entrance of the home, guaranteeing no teams can collect.
Qadura Fares, who heads the Palestinian Prisoners’ Membership NGO, mentioned 33 prisoners had been freed within the West Financial institution and handed over to a workforce from the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross, whereas six others had been launched in Jerusalem.
The NGO mentioned in a press release that the Israeli authorities set a number of situations forbidding the launched prisoners and their households from talking to the press, receiving friends at residence or distributing sweets in celebration. Those that don’t abide by the principles may very well be fined about 70,000 shekels ($18,740), the NGO added.
Though Bakeer is completely happy to be residence, she advised Al Jazeera that her happiness was incomplete with the persevering with bloodshed in Gaza.
“I’m very happy of course, but I feel devastated by how that deal was reached … at the cost of our brothers’ and sisters’ lives in Gaza.”
Greater than 14,800 folks have been killed within the Israeli bombardment of Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the official demise toll from Hamas’s assaults stands at about 1,200.
