Sherine al- Hamamreh, the sister of prisoner Izz al- Deen al- Hamamreh, left her hometown of Husan town near Bethlehem city at 5:30 GMT on Saturday in the hope of meeting her brother, who has been sentenced to nine life sentences and has been in prison for 21 years. She expressed disappointment and frustration with the Israeli authorities’ treatment of prisoners and their families, highlighting the long-standing suffering endured over the years of imprisonment.
Adeeb al Saifi, the father of prisoner Ahmad al Saifi, who was also sentenced to 20 years and spent 16 years in jail, expressed his anticipation and continued hope for the release of his son. He sees this as a continuation of the hardship endured over the years of his imprisonment.
In an earlier development, five out of the six Israeli hostages who were freed on Saturday were handed over in staged ceremonies, led by armed, masked militants in front of a crowd. These events have been criticized by the U.N. and Red Cross as inhumane acts. The Israeli authorities have condemned these ceremonies as disrespectful to the hostages and their use for propaganda purposes. This likely refers to a Hamas video showing two other hostages who are yet to be released in Gaza.
The release of the six hostages marks the last batch of living hostages expected to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire, with a week remaining in this initial stage. Discussions regarding the second phase of the ceasefire have not yet begun. Among those released were three Israeli men who were seized at the Nova music festival and another who was captured while visiting family in southern Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the 16-month conflict in Gaza. The remaining two had been held in Gaza for a decade.
The Israeli government has not responded to questions regarding the delay in releasing prisoners. Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement, with spokesperson Abdel Latif Al-Qanou alleging that Prime Minister Netanyahu is intentionally delaying the process.
A total of 620 Palestinian prisoners were expected to be released, including 151 individuals serving life sentences for attacks against Israelis. It has been reported that nearly 100 of those would face deportation according to the Palestinian prisoners’ media office. Among those to be released is Nael Barghouti, who has spent over 45 years in prison for an attack that resulted in the death of an Israeli bus driver.
Additionally, the release includes 445 men, 23 children aged 15 to 19, and one woman who were all seized by Israeli forces in Gaza without charge during the war.
Source: http://www.africanews.com/2025/02/23/israel-delays-release-of-palestinian-prisoners/
