Release of Palestinian prisoners will be hard to watch for some in Israelpublished at 12:59 Greenwich Mean Time
Joe Inwood
BBC News correspondent
This deal was never going to be without controversy or critics, especially on Israel’s far right. It sees hundreds of Palestinians freed in exchange for a far smaller number of Israelis.
Itamar Ben-Gvir resigned as National Security Minister over the deal, saying he was “horrified” that “life-sentenced terrorists” would be released.
It may be memories of the deal to exchange Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners weighs heavy here. One of those released in the 2011 deal was Yahya Sinwar, who went on to mastermind the 7th October attacks.
Indeed, some of those being released had been found guilty of serious crimes, although none were accused of involvement in October 7th. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Association say 18 were serving life, with another 54 having received long sentences.
It is worth pointing out, however, that the majority of those freed were held on what Israel calls “administrative detention”, but what their critics call imprisonment without charge.
Of the 183 being released today, 25 of them are said to have gone to the occupied West Bank, seven will be deported to Egypt, with the rest being sent to Gaza.
It’s interesting to note, although maybe unsurprising, that on Israeli media the overwhelming focus of the coverage is the emotional scenes as the men reunite with their families, rather than the pictures of family reunions simultaneously taking place in the occupied West Bank.
Image source, Reuters