Israeli authorities released the first 90 Palestinian prisoners early Monday morning, including Palestinian MP Khalid Kharar, as part of the agreement reached with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in exchange for the release of three Israeli hostages in the midst of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Prison Service has confirmed the release of the first group of Palestinians, which has taken place after almost eight hours of delay. “After receiving the approval of the political authorities, all the terrorists have been released (…) in accordance with the agreed political plan for the return of the kidnapped persons,” reads a statement.
After midnight, several buses left the Israeli military prison of Ofer, located in the West Bank, towards the city of Beitunia, located about three kilometers west of Ramallah, the administrative capital of the Palestinian territory. Despite the heavy presence of Israeli security forces, who even fired tear gas and bullets at those present in the area near Ofer (which has been converted into a closed military zone), the families of the prisoners gathered to celebrate their release.
Palestinian media had reported that a “shortage” of people had been reported during the identity verification process, while the Israelis had blamed the Red Cross for the delay, allegedly to make it appear that Israel is not complying with the terms of the agreement.
This first group is made up mostly of 69 women and minors. Jarrar, a member of parliament for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), was sentenced in March 2021 to two years in prison after a plea agreement in which she pleaded guilty to membership in an organization that Israel considers a terrorist group. Although she was released in September of that year, she ended up detained again with the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.
During the day, Hamas has released three Israeli women, identified as Romi Gonen, 24 years old (kidnapped at the Nova music festival); Emily Damari, 28 years old, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31 years old (kidnapped in the Kfar Aza kibbutz). This exchange represents the beginning of six weeks of gradual exchanges that include a total of 33 Israeli hostages and more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
