2K Palestinian detainees freed, defy occupation with mass welcome
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Liberated Gaza detainees arrive as Hamas hails a resistance victory despite occupation attempts to ban gatherings.
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A Palestinian detainee makes the victory sign after being released from an Israeli prison as part of the ceasefire deal between the occupation and the Palestinian Resistance, upon his arrival in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on October 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Palestine's Prisoners' Information Office confirmed that the first of 38 buses carrying Palestinian detainees from Gaza has departed en route to the Strip, marking a significant phase in the large-scale exchange deal underway as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
According to the media director of the Prisoners' Affairs Office, several detainees who have spent decades behind bars are among those being freed. A total of 154 prisoners will travel abroad, while others will return to their homes in the West Bank, occupied al-Quds, and Gaza.
The director noted that the occupation attempted to evade its obligations under the agreement, as it has in previous deals. However, the Palestinian Resistance insisted on confirming the agreed-upon names, including long-term detainees and those captured from Gaza. "We made improvements to the list of prisoners, especially those detained from the Gaza Strip," it added.
Buses carrying liberated Palestinian detainees have arrived in #Ramallah, the #WestBank.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2025
The detainees were greeted by their loved ones and could be seen raising the victory sign in celebration.#Palestine #GazaCeasefire pic.twitter.com/bfxJWhupgC
In Khan Younis, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that large crowds gathered to welcome the liberated detainees, with flags of Hamas and Islamic Jihad raised in celebration. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, buses carrying released detainees arrived in Ramallah, where people assembled at the Ramallah Cultural Palace to greet them.
After their liberation from Israeli detention, freed Palestinian detainees were embraced by their loved ones in scenes filled with tears of joy.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 13, 2025
Among them was Omar Bseis from #Tulkarm, who spent 22 years behind bars, and Tareq Bargouti from #Ramallah, who endured 24 years in… pic.twitter.com/leEphnIkna
Reuters reported that 1,966 Palestinian detainees had been prepared for release earlier in the day, boarding buses inside Israeli prisons. Among them, 250 prisoners serving life sentences are expected to be released to the West Bank, occupied al-Quds, and locations abroad.
On that note, the Israeli occupation has intensified efforts to suppress public celebrations in occupied al-Quds and the West Bank following the release of Palestinian detainees on Monday under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
According to Siraj Abu Arafa, a lawyer with the Wadi Hilweh Information Center in al-Quds, the Israeli intelligence service summoned the families of detainees set to be released, pressing them to sign conditional release agreements.
Abu Arafa explained that the imposed conditions include a ban on public gatherings, assemblies, or any form of celebration. He added that each liberated detainee would be escorted directly to their home by an intelligence vehicle to enforce compliance with these restrictions.
Hamas: 'Israel' forced to accept Resistance's conditions
On another note, in a statement on Monday, Hamas highlighted the failure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military, after two years of a brutal war of extermination, to forcibly recover their captives. Hamas stressed that the occupation was ultimately forced to accept the resistance’s conditions, reiterating that the only path to returning their soldiers was through a negotiated exchange and a complete halt to the aggression.
The movement emphasized that the resistance made every effort to preserve the lives of the captives, despite ongoing attempts by what it described as the "war criminal Netanyahu and his terrorist army" to target and eliminate them. In contrast, the statement pointed out that Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails are subjected to systematic abuse, torture, and murder.
Hamas further stated that the liberation of its "heroic detainees," many of whom are serving life or long-term sentences and have spent decades behind bars, is the result of the Gaza Strip’s resilience and the bravery of the Resistance.
