Ninety Palestinians have been freed from Israeli prisons in the first prisoner exchange of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire following the release of three Israeli captives in Gaza.
At about 1am local time on Monday, January 20, 2025, Red Cross buses carrying the 90 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where they were greeted by crowds of jubilant relatives, friends and supporters despite warnings from Israeli forces that celebrations would not be allowed.
The freed Palestinians included 69 women and 21 teenage boys – some as young as 12 – from the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.
Among them was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a leading member of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who had been held for six months in solitary confinement under “administrative detention”, which allows Israeli authorities to jail suspects indefinitely without charge or court verdict.
In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, crowds lifted many of the returned prisoners up onto their shoulders in an emotional show of support, as others shouted and whistled.
Some attending the gathering carried the flags of Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other armed resistance groups.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the release and transfer of three captives out of Gaza to Israel, and 90 Palestinian detainees from Israel to the occupied Palestinian territory.
ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said, “We are relieved that those released can be reunited with their loved ones.”
“Ensuring their safe return and providing the necessary care at this critical moment is a great responsibility. This operation is a powerful example of how our role as a neutral actor between the warring sides can save and change lives, provided that the parties come to an agreement.”
Mirjana Spoljaric
The ICRC described the operation as “complex”, and one requiring “rigorous security measures.” It added, “Navigating large crowds and heightened emotions posed challenges during the transfers, and in Gaza, ICRC teams had to manage the dangers posed by unexploded ordnances and destroyed infrastructure.”
The organisation urged all parties to adhere to the requirements of the ceasefire and said it was ready to “significantly scale up its humanitarian response” in Gaza.
Hamas Celebrates Release Of Prisoners
Meanwhile, Hamas issued a new statement on the release of the Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The group congratulated its people, nation, and the free people of the world on the liberation of the first batch of our female and male prisoners from Israeli prisons.
“Scenes of joy among our people as they raise the victory sign while receiving the prisoners confirm once again the popular support for the resistance and highlight its firm position in their conscience.
“The huge crowds of our people who came out to receive the liberated prisoners, despite the repressive measures of the occupation, are a declaration of defiance against the occupation, and an expression of their thirst for freedom and the liberation of the land and holy sites.”
Hamas
It said that the pictures of the three female prisoners being handed over to the “enemy” showed them in full physical and psychological health, “while our male and female prisoners showed signs of neglect and exhaustion, which embodies the great difference between the values and morals of the resistance and the barbarism and fascism of the occupation.” It added, “We stand in these historic moments in reverence and appreciation for the sacrifices of our great people in Gaza and our victorious resistance.”
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