A 3rd batch of 39 Palestinian prisoners has been freed because the alternate of captives between Hamas and Israel continues for a 3rd day below a four-day truce deal.
Massive crowds of Palestinians took to the streets in Ramallah within the occupied West Financial institution on Sunday night time as they waited for Crimson Cross buses carrying the prisoners.
Some waved Palestinian flags alongside the flags of the 2 predominant Palestinian political events, Hamas and Fatah. Some youth climbed on high of a white bus transporting largely younger males and a few feminine prisoners.
“At first we did not believe it,” Shakir Mahajna informed Al Jazeera whereas he waited together with his household for his son Omar, who not too long ago turned 18.
“The last time I visited him he was frustrated, he told me ‘Dad I want to leave’,” mentioned Mahajna, whose son was 16 when he was arrested and had 4 months left in his sentence.
“After what happened in October, I was even more scared,” Nour Ara’ar, whose 17-year-old brother Zeid was arrested in July, informed Al Jazeera.
“Everything was suspended because of the war,” she added. “The trial did not take place.”
“We are happy, but we are experiencing mixed feelings. Our joy is incomplete because of what is happening in Gaza,” she added.
In the meantime, in close by Beitunia, the place some Palestinians had additionally gathered, three Palestinians aged 15, 18 and 33 had been injured after Israeli forces fired reside rounds, the Palestine Crimson Crescent Society (PRCS) mentioned. Two youngsters, aged 11 and 13, had been admitted to a hospital for tear-gas inhalation, the PRCS added.
Hamas frees American little one, Russian man
Earlier on Sunday, Hamas handed over 13 Israeli captives, together with 9 youngsters and 4 international nationals – three Thais and one Israeli Russian – to the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross (ICRC) as a part of the truce deal.
The Israeli Russian was launched “in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts and in recognition of Russia’s position in support of Palestine”, Hamas mentioned in an announcement. He’s the primary male captive to be launched because the truce deal got here into impact.
US President Joe Biden mentioned a four-year-old Israeli-American lady, Abigail Edan, whose mother and father had been killed within the October 7 Hamas assault, was additionally amongst these launched.
“She’s free and she’s in Israel,” he mentioned, including that one other twin American citizen – a 45-year-old lady – was additionally launched. Biden additionally urged the events to increase the truce deal to permit for extra releases.
The alternate of captives was delayed by a number of hours on Saturday after Hamas accused Israel of violating the truce settlement. The standoff sparked considerations that the deal was vulnerable to derailing.
The deadlock was resolved following mediation by Qatar and Egypt.
Round 150 Palestinian prisoners and 50 civilian captives held in Gaza are to be launched over 4 days below the Israel-Hamas deal.
Israel’s floor and air assault on the besieged Gaza Strip has to this point killed greater than 15,000 Palestinians and left huge swathes of the enclave in ruins.
Netanyahu’s ‘photo-op’ in Gaza
Forward of Sunday’s alternate, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Gaza, the primary because the Gaza assault started final month.
“We continue until the end – until victory,” he informed troopers, footage posted on-line by his workplace confirmed.
“Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war’s goals, and we will.”
Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, mentioned it was the primary time an Israeli prime minister entered Gaza since Israel disengaged from the enclave in 2005.
“It is a landmark visit,” he mentioned. “We’ve heard Netanyahu talk about victory but not in this location. This location is what he wants the Israeli public to see,” he added, calling it a “photo-op”.
In an announcement on Sunday, Hamas mentioned it’s looking for to increase the four-day truce with Israel ought to critical efforts be made to extend the variety of Palestinian detainees launched from Israeli prisons.
Talking from Beirut, senior Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan informed Al Jazeera he anticipated US President Biden to push Israel to finish its struggle on the Gaza Strip.
“President Biden has the power to make an finish to the Israeli offensive in opposition to Gaza. He has the ability to try this and speaking about extending the ceasefire just isn’t the answer.
“The solution is to stop the Israeli attack against Gaza and to force Israel to implement international resolutions regarding the Palestinian people,” he mentioned.
