Israel releases first group of 90 Palestinian prisoners under ceasefire agreement

Chijioke Obinna

Israel releases first group of 90 Palestinian prisoners under ceasefire agreement

Early Monday morning, Israel released first group of 90 Palestinian prisonersthe majority women and children, as confirmed by the Israeli prison service, as part of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip that came into force on Sunday at 9:15 GMT.

His release occurs after Hamas to hand over three Israeli hostagesthree civilian women, who are now in the Sheba hospital in Tel Aviv.

The prison service was tasked with rounding up all prisoners on Sunday at Ofer prison, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli security forces and representatives of the Red Cross verified the identity of each prisoner and performed medical checks on them. .

They were later released and a Red Cross team took 78 of them to the Beitunia checkpoint, near Ramallah; and another 12 in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem. According to the statement from the Prison Service, the detainees headed to East Jerusalem will be taken to the Russian Complex in the city, from where they will be released by the Police.

Among those released today There are 69 women and 9 minorsin addition to 12 men convicted of minor crimes such as inciting terrorism or disturbing public order

This planned to release a total of almost 2,000 inmates during the first phase of the 42-day ceasefire agreement, when 33 hostages will also leave the Strip.

Of the released prisoners, the first to enter prison, identified as Nawal Mohamed Abdel Fatiha, did so in 2021. Two detainees follow in seniority in 2022, and 23 in 2023 and the rest throughout 2024, according to the list of prisoners to be released.

Among those detained there are also nine minors: eight 17 years old and one 15 years oldidentified as Mahmud Daoud Aliwat. There are eight boys and one girl.

Among those released are also Jalida Jarrar, 62, feminist activist and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the sister of Hamas politician Saleh Arouri, Dalal Jaseeb, or Abla Abdelrasoul, 68, wife of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat.

Chijioke Obinna

I've been passionate about storytelling and journalism since my early days growing up in Lagos. With a background in political science and years of experience in investigative reporting, I aim to bring nuanced perspectives to pressing global issues. Outside of writing, I enjoy exploring Nigeria’s vibrant cultural scene and mentoring young aspiring journalists.