GAZA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Scores of grooms in black suits and brides in white dresses, arrived in a hotel in western Gaza city by cars decorated with flowers. Men and women in the ceremony were separated -- everything suggested a traditional Islamic wedding, except that the 56 newly weds were prisoners just released from Israeli jails.
The Hamas-run Wa'ed (Promise) Association for Prisoners Affairs in Gaza city organized and sponsored the mass wedding ceremony for prisoners freed on Oct. 18 in a historic swap deal reached between Hamas and Israel. Deposed Prime Minister of the Hamas government Ismail Haneya showed up at the seaside resort to congratulate the couples.
According to an Egyptian-brokered deal, Hamas an Israel agreed to free the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit, who was in a Gaza captivity since June 2006, for the release of 1,027 male and female prisoners. The deal was implemented in two phases, one on Oct. 18 and the other after two months.
Palestinian flags were flowing at the entrance of Shlihat hotel, and the couples were wearing green scarfs written "Hamas."
Haneya said "I came here to congratulate the freed heroes and share with them their happiness and joy in the weddings of freedom and liberty." He added his government attaches importance to the issue prisoners "in the Israeli occupation jails," and exerts every possible effort to guarantee their release.
The Wa'ed Association for Prisoners Affairs said there are 5, 000 Palestinian prisoners in about 25 Israeli jails and detention camps in Israel and the West Bank following the release of the 1, 027 prisoners in Shalit's deal.
Kamel Abu Madi, chairman of Wa'ed said they offered free services to the prisoners, including driving licenses and renting wedding halls as well as sponsoring rehabilitation programs for the prisoners.
Attallah Abu Sebah, the Hamas minister of prisoners affairs, said at the ceremony that the prisoners who spent the spring of their lives behind the bars "really deserve more than this," adding that "we hope that the entire prisoners will be freed soon. "
Alaa al-Kaabi, a groom and a freed prisoner said "I have mixed feelings of happiness and sadness, because I left behind more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners. I hope that 2012 will witness their freedom."
Fuad Abu Amreen, also a freed prisoner, said "in this blessed day, I thank everyone that contributed to making this wedding a success, and I pray that happiness will engulf the people of Gaza, " adding "the wedding party was widely attended by families and friends of the freed prisoners."
Since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip violently in June 2007, and routed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces, the Islamic movement has held mass wedding ceremonies in various areas in the Gaza Strip, especially after the Israeli operation in Gaza in early 2009.
People's Daily Online
No comments:
Post a Comment