(15 Feb 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Khan Younis, Gaza Strip – 15 February 2025
1. Various of buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners arriving at European hospital, people gathering
2. Various of released prisoners leaving Red Cross buses
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammad Amarah, released Palestinian prisoner:
"Very, very bad treatment, no medical treatment and no good food. From morning until the next day you only get a loaf of bread for three meals."
4. Various of people gathering near buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Suheil Sultan, released Palestinian prisoner:
"A very, very cruel prison. Very bad treatment of all prisoners and until now there are prisoners who are being tortured and going through a very harsh period of detention. They are not provided with treatment or food. All the prisoners there have lost half of their weight, (someone) who used to be 100 kilos has now become 50 kilos. Very bad treatment in everything."
6. Various of crowds gathered
7. Various of released prisoners greeting their relatives
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Majdi Mashharawi, released Palestinian prisoner:
"For food and drink, I used to weigh 102 kilos. Today I weigh 60 kilos. I have been hungry and thirsty for a year and two months. I do not remember a day when I ate or drank well inside the prisons of these criminals."
9. Various of people gathering near Red Cross buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Majdi Mashharawi, released Palestinian prisoner:
"An indescribable joy, and there is nothing more beautiful than the taste of freedom, and today, thanks to God, is my new birthday, the true birth of every human being who was detained in the prisons of these unjust criminals."
11. Various of people burning clothes reading (Arabic): “We neither forget nor forgive”
STORYLINE:
Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Saturday in the latest exchange for Israeli hostages captured by Hamas, as the fragile ceasefire held.
Israel views the prisoners being released as terrorists.
Palestinians often see them as freedom fighters resisting a decadeslong Israeli military occupation.
Nearly every Palestinian has a friend or family member who has been jailed by Israel, for militant attacks or lesser offenses such as rock-throwing, protesting or membership in a banned political group.
Some are incarcerated for months or years without trial in what is known as administrative detention, which Israel says is needed to prevent attacks and avoid sharing sensitive intelligence.
Among those released on Saturday, 36 had been sentenced to life for their involvement in deadly attacks against Israelis.
Twelve of those were allowed to return to homes in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem where their families and supporters swarmed Red Cross buses, chanting “God is greatest."
Palestinian medics said four were taken straight to the hospital for urgent care.
The 24 others with life sentences were being sent into exile.
The rest of the 333 Palestinians released had been detained in Gaza after Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war.
Israeli forces have arrested hundreds of people in Gaza and held them without trial.
As part of the ceasefire, Israel committed to releasing more than 1,000 of them on the condition that they hadn’t participated in the October 7 attack.
The freed detainees leaned their heads through the windows as their bus rolled into Gaza’s southern town of Khan Younis, weeping, smiling and shouting “All praise to God!”
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