Historic Mass Welcome for 2,000 Freed Palestinian Detainees Despite Israeli Bans
Mass Celebrations Greet Liberated Prisoners in Gaza and the West Bank as Resistance Declares Political and Moral Victory
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - The release of approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees began on Monday, marking a pivotal phase in the large-scale prisoner exchange agreement implemented under the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The Prisoners’ Information Office confirmed that the first of 38 buses carrying detainees had departed Israeli prisons toward the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories.
Among those freed are detainees who spent decades behind bars, including individuals serving life sentences. A total of 154 prisoners are set to travel abroad, while others will return to their homes in Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied al-Quds.
Resistance Insists on Full Implementation
According to the Prisoners’ Affairs Office, the Israeli occupation initially attempted to manipulate the agreement, as seen in previous exchanges. However, Palestinian Resistance factions successfully ensured the inclusion of long-term detainees and those captured from Gaza.
“We secured critical improvements to the list, especially for detainees from the Gaza Strip,” the media director stated.
Mass Welcomes Despite Occupation Restrictions
In Khan Younis, massive crowds assembling to receive the released prisoners, waving flags of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in celebration of what many described as a victory for steadfastness and resistance.
Similar scenes were reported in Ramallah, where buses carrying detainees arrived at the Ramallah Cultural Palace, greeted by throngs of supporters.
Reuters confirmed that 1,966 detainees had been prepared earlier in the day for release, including 250 prisoners serving life sentences.
Israeli Restrictions on Public Celebrations
In occupied al-Quds and the West Bank, Israeli authorities moved swiftly to suppress public celebrations. Siraj Abu Arafa, a lawyer with the Wadi Hilweh Center, reported that Israeli intelligence summoned families of released detainees and compelled them to sign conditional release agreements.
These conditions included:
A ban on public gatherings or celebrations
Direct escort of detainees to their homes by intelligence vehicles
Hamas: ‘Israel Forced to Accept Resistance Terms’
In an official statement, Hamas underscored what it described as a strategic failure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military, stating:
“After two years of a genocidal war, they failed to recover their captives by force and were ultimately compelled to accept our terms.”
Hamas emphasized that the Resistance made every effort to protect Israeli captives despite continued attempts by the Israeli military to target them. It contrasted this with the systematic abuse, torture, and killing faced by Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.
A Victory of Steadfastness and Sacrifice
The movement praised the liberation of its “heroic detainees,” many of whom spent decades behind bars, as a direct outcome of Gaza’s resilience and the unwavering resolve of the Palestinian Resistance.
As buses continue to travel across checkpoints and borders, scenes of reunion stand as powerful symbols of a nation that, despite immense suffering, continues to assert its right to freedom, dignity, and return. (PW)