Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners and Hamas freed 13 hostages, after agreement

The Israeli Prison Authority announced Saturday night that it released 39 Palestinian prisonersafter Hamas released a second group of hostages under the agreement between Israel and the Islamist movement.

The Palestinian prisoners are all women and adolescents under 19 years of age, as are the freed hostages, who are women and children. The four-day agreement provides for the release of a total of 50 Israeli hostages and 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

In East Jerusalemoccupied and annexed by Israel, there was a discreet celebration for the prisoners released amid an Israeli police deployment.

Several booted, helmeted and armed members of the Israeli security forces surrounded the home of Israa Jaabis, 39, the most recognizable prisoner on the list.

His photograph with withered fingers and partially burned face in an Israeli court regularly appears at demonstrations, or to illustrate the suffering of Palestinian prisoners.

“I am ashamed to speak of joy when all Palestine She is wounded”Jaabis told reporters alongside his 13-year-old son Moatassem.

“They must free everyone,” he asked.

Jaabis was sentenced to eleven years in prison for detonating a gas cylinder she had in the trunk of her vehicle during a traffic stop in 2015, injuring a police officer.

The NGO Addameer, who provided him with a lawyer, said he suffered burns on 50% of his body. According to Palestinian authorities, he now needs six surgeries

Hamas frees a Russian hostage before the release of the 13 Israelis

The Islamist group Hamas announced this Sunday that it released a hostage of Russian nationality, “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimír Putin,” before the release, scheduled today, of 13 Israeli hostages within the framework of an agreement by which Israel will release 39 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli media highlighted that the hostage had dual Russian-Israeli nationality and that this is an additional release to the one scheduled for today, which will mark the third consecutive day of exchange of hostages for prisoners in parallel with a temporary ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.