Palestinians erupted in cheers of joy Monday as Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners.
Those freed include around 1,700 of the several thousand Palestinians that Israeli troops seized from Gaza during the 2-year war and have held without charge.
Israeli forces detained thousands of Palestinians during the war in raids on shelters and hospitals and at checkpoints, stopping families as they fled their homes amid military operations.
Families often had no idea their relatives had been detained, and it often took months to determine if they were in Israeli custody, if confirmation came at all. Most were held under laws passed in Israel at the start of the war that allowed Palestinians to be detained for months as “unlawful combatants” without judicial review or access to lawyers.
Also among those released were 250 Palestinians sentenced to prison terms, most of them convicted for deadly attacks on Israelis dating back decades as well as others convicted on lesser charges, according to Israel’s Justice Ministry. Of those, Israel exiled 154, sending them to neighboring Egypt, where officials said they will be sent to third countries.
The rest were returning to homes in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
The releases have powerful resonance on both sides.
For Israelis, they’re deeply painful, since some of those released were convicted over attacks that killed civilians and soldiers. For Palestinians, the issue of prisoners is politically charged. Nearly everyone has a friend or family member who has been jailed by Israel, particularly young men.
While Israel views the prisoners as terrorists, many Palestinians consider them as freedom fighters resisting a decades-long Israeli military occupation. Reports from rights groups detailing conditions while held — including isolation, abuse and illness — have made prisoners prominent symbols of their people’s political struggle.
▶ Read more about the prisoners released here.
