Published: Oct 19, 2011 23:15 Updated: Oct 20, 2011 00:28
GAZA CITY: Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons and their relatives in the impoverished Gaza Strip talked Wednesday about the difficult times the families faced during their incarceration. Some of the freed prisoners also felt guilty about leaving behind comrades.Four hundred and seventy-seven Palestinians, 27 of them women, were released Tuesday in a ground-breaking prisoner swap deal in exchange for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Out of the 477, 180 prisoners were released to the Gaza Strip, where families began preparations days before in anticipation of their arrival.
Ahmed Abu Hasira, a prominent leader of Islamic Jihad, was released after serving 35 years in an Israeli prison for firing on Israeli soldiers, injuring them.
The Abu Hasira family, with over 3,000 members in Gaza City, began spray-painting banners and decorating the neighborhood with flags last week.
Throngs of armed Islamic Jihad men guarded Ahmed, now 59-years old, as he reached his home, amid celebratory gunfire.
"I thank God, the Hamas government, and the people receiving me," said Ahmed, as scores of family members vied for the chance to shake his hand.
He had not seen his wife Najwa in seven years.
"It has been difficult to live without my husband all these years," said Najwa. She is concerned about long-term health effects Ahmed may face after spending nearly two years in solitary confinement and repeated physical abuse, such as blows to his head.
Ahmed's brother Azmi Abu Hasira, 51, praised the Hamas government for reaching the deal. "It includes prisoners from all Palestinian factions and those serving long-term sentences," he said.
The release included 325 older prisoners who were serving life sentences. Many of them were convicted of killing Israelis.
The International Committee of the Red Cross continues to call on Israel to allow the resumption of the family visit program for Gazans suspended in 2007, after Shalit was captured.
Israel is to release a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners under the deal between Israel and Hamas.
A second release in the coming two months will include 550 Palestinian prisoners of Israel's choosing.
Basem Al-Khord, a Hamas member from Beit Lahiyah, was released after serving 21 years in an Israeli prison for killing three Israeli soldiers.
His son is now 23 years old and his daughter 22.
"I can't express how happy I am to see my wife and children after all theses years, but I left so many people behind," said Basem.
Like many of the released prisoners, Basem is plagued with guilt over those still imprisoned.
"I ask the Hamas government to make the prisoner issue, and caring for their families, its first priority," he said.
Basem also recounted ill-treatment, such as being held in isolation cells for long periods of time, lack of family visits, and spoiled food.
An estimated 5,000 Palestinian prisoners are still being held in Israeli jails according to Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem.
With a population of 2.5 million in the West Bank and 1.6 in Gaza, it's difficult to find a Palestinian family unaffected.
Yousif Al-Khais from Jerusalem was released to Gaza after serving 20 years in an Israeli prison for killing an Israeli occupier. His family lives in Jerusalem, where he is not allowed to return.
"I feel pain for the others I left behind," said Yousif, in Gaza for the first time.
The deal, brokered by Egyptian intelligence, has highlighted calls by several international human rights organizations and NGO's that Israel violates international law by removing Palestinians from occupied Palestinian territory.
"Holding these prisoners and detainees in Israel flagrantly breaches international humanitarian law, which prohibits the transfer of civilians, including prisoners and detainees, from the occupied territory to the territory of the occupying state," according Israeli human rights NGO B'Tselem.
"Israel's disregard for this prohibition is one of the main reasons that the prisoners and their families are unable to exercise their right to visits in a reasonable manner," says B'Tselem.
Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention stipulates that citizens under military occupation cannot be removed from the occupied territory, thereby prohibiting family member visits.
The Israeli Army admits that most Palestinian detainees are imprisoned inside Israel, but argues that removing Palestinians from occupied Palestinian territory is approved by the Israeli High Court of Justice and is consistent with Israeli law.
Palestinians arrested by the Israeli Army in the West Bank fall under the jurisdiction of Israeli "military legislation." This is a separate military court system that applies only to the occupied Palestinian territories, according to the Israeli Army.
Since Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, Palestinians from Gaza detained by Israeli authorities are generally prosecuted in Israel under civilian security legislation, and not under military law.
— — Erica Silverman is a humanitarian reporter for the UN news agency, IRIN, based in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.
Ahmed Abu Hasira, a prominent leader of Islamic Jihad, was released after serving 35 years in an Israeli prison for firing on Israeli soldiers, injuring them.
The Abu Hasira family, with over 3,000 members in Gaza City, began spray-painting banners and decorating the neighborhood with flags last week.
Throngs of armed Islamic Jihad men guarded Ahmed, now 59-years old, as he reached his home, amid celebratory gunfire.
"I thank God, the Hamas government, and the people receiving me," said Ahmed, as scores of family members vied for the chance to shake his hand.
He had not seen his wife Najwa in seven years.
"It has been difficult to live without my husband all these years," said Najwa. She is concerned about long-term health effects Ahmed may face after spending nearly two years in solitary confinement and repeated physical abuse, such as blows to his head.
Ahmed's brother Azmi Abu Hasira, 51, praised the Hamas government for reaching the deal. "It includes prisoners from all Palestinian factions and those serving long-term sentences," he said.
The release included 325 older prisoners who were serving life sentences. Many of them were convicted of killing Israelis.
The International Committee of the Red Cross continues to call on Israel to allow the resumption of the family visit program for Gazans suspended in 2007, after Shalit was captured.
Israel is to release a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners under the deal between Israel and Hamas.
A second release in the coming two months will include 550 Palestinian prisoners of Israel's choosing.
Basem Al-Khord, a Hamas member from Beit Lahiyah, was released after serving 21 years in an Israeli prison for killing three Israeli soldiers.
His son is now 23 years old and his daughter 22.
"I can't express how happy I am to see my wife and children after all theses years, but I left so many people behind," said Basem.
Like many of the released prisoners, Basem is plagued with guilt over those still imprisoned.
"I ask the Hamas government to make the prisoner issue, and caring for their families, its first priority," he said.
Basem also recounted ill-treatment, such as being held in isolation cells for long periods of time, lack of family visits, and spoiled food.
An estimated 5,000 Palestinian prisoners are still being held in Israeli jails according to Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem.
With a population of 2.5 million in the West Bank and 1.6 in Gaza, it's difficult to find a Palestinian family unaffected.
Yousif Al-Khais from Jerusalem was released to Gaza after serving 20 years in an Israeli prison for killing an Israeli occupier. His family lives in Jerusalem, where he is not allowed to return.
"I feel pain for the others I left behind," said Yousif, in Gaza for the first time.
The deal, brokered by Egyptian intelligence, has highlighted calls by several international human rights organizations and NGO's that Israel violates international law by removing Palestinians from occupied Palestinian territory.
"Holding these prisoners and detainees in Israel flagrantly breaches international humanitarian law, which prohibits the transfer of civilians, including prisoners and detainees, from the occupied territory to the territory of the occupying state," according Israeli human rights NGO B'Tselem.
"Israel's disregard for this prohibition is one of the main reasons that the prisoners and their families are unable to exercise their right to visits in a reasonable manner," says B'Tselem.
Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention stipulates that citizens under military occupation cannot be removed from the occupied territory, thereby prohibiting family member visits.
The Israeli Army admits that most Palestinian detainees are imprisoned inside Israel, but argues that removing Palestinians from occupied Palestinian territory is approved by the Israeli High Court of Justice and is consistent with Israeli law.
Palestinians arrested by the Israeli Army in the West Bank fall under the jurisdiction of Israeli "military legislation." This is a separate military court system that applies only to the occupied Palestinian territories, according to the Israeli Army.
Since Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip in September 2005, Palestinians from Gaza detained by Israeli authorities are generally prosecuted in Israel under civilian security legislation, and not under military law.
— — Erica Silverman is a humanitarian reporter for the UN news agency, IRIN, based in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.
Some freed Palestinians feel guilty - Arab News
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