Qatar says 13 Israeli captives, 7 foreigners to be released tonight

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
26 Nov 2023 13:42
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Qatar says 39 Palestinian women and children are to be liberated in exchange for 13 Israelis, with 7 foreign nationals being released not as part of the prisoner swap.

Israeli hostages released by Hamas arrive at Sheba Medical Center in 'Ramat Gan', occupied Palestine, November 26, 2023 (AP)

Qatar announces that 13 Israeli captives will be released on Saturday. Additionally, seven foreign nationals will be released as part of a separate agreement, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli settlers will be released to liberate an additional 39 Palestinian women and children from the Israeli occupation's prisons.

Likewise, Egypt has received the lists of 13 Israeli captives who are due to be freed on Sunday in exchange for the release of 39 Palestinian prisoners, an official said.

Diaa Rashwan, who heads the State Information Services, said in a statement that the captives and the prisoners "will be exchanged today (Sunday)," the third day of a truce between "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance, following two earlier exchanges.

While there is no official Israeli statement on the issue, Israeli officials, as reported by the Ynet news site and Army Radio, acknowledge their anticipation of the release of 13 Israeli captives.

Palestinian Resistance frees 39 women and children

This comes shortly after Al-Qassam Brigades and the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza released 39 Palestinian women and children from Israeli occupation prisons -- the second batch of prisoners -- as part of the temporary truce agreement negotiated based on the conditions set by the Palestinian Resistance and the prisoner swap deal that also includes Israeli captives that were held by the Resistance in the Gaza Strip.

Following over six weeks of the Israeli brutal aggression on Gaza, which was accompanied by a near-complete blockade, a full siege on the residents, and over 1,300 massacres during the short period, the Resistance was able to enforce its initial conditions of not releasing any Israeli captive unless through an indirect prisoner exchange.

Palestinian citizens flocked in large numbers to al-Bireh to welcome the freed prisoners. Despite harassment by the Israeli occupation, celebrations roamed in occupied al-Quds and the cities of the occupied West Bank, where jubilant Palestinians raised Palestinian and Hamas flags, as well as flags of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah.

The plight of young female prisoners in Israeli prisons

Freed prisoner Israa Jaabis arrived at her home in occupied al-Quds, where she embraced her son Moatasem for the first time in eight years. Jaabis told reporters that young female prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons are subjected to harassment that cannot be discussed in public.

#Watch | The very first moments of freed prisoner Israa Jaabis meeting her family members in occupied #AlQuds and embracing her son Moatasem for the first time in eight years.

Video source: Al-Jarmaq#Palestine pic.twitter.com/mD2fkqu4Zl
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 26, 2023

On her part, freed prisoner Nourhan Awwad arrived at her home in the Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied al-Quds. Before that, Nourhan visited the grave of her cousin Hadeel Awwad, who was killed by Israeli occupation forces eight years ago over an alleged stabbing operation.

In a statement to Al Mayadeen, the freed prisoner mourned the martyrs in Gaza, adding that "the ray of victory emanates from the patience of the people in the Gaza Strip."

It is noteworthy that the Brigades had earlier decided to delay the release of the second batch of captives until the Israeli occupation adhered to the terms of the truce agreement, including the entry of relief trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, accusing "Israel" of not allowing the entry of 200 aid trucks daily, a number stipulated in the agreement.

Hamas Politburo member Osama Hamdan told Al Mayadeen that there are multiple violations committed by the Israelis in implementing the terms of the truce, some of which occurred Friday and were repeated today.

The violations, according to Hamdan, came in the form of the Israeli occupation going against stipulations regarding the truce, the prisoner swap, and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

"The number of aid trucks that have reached northern Gaza is less than half of what is agreed upon according to the ceasefire agreement," he explained.

Later on, Hamas said it “positively responded to efforts by Egypt and Qatar that had been taken over the course of the day to ensure the continuation of the temporary truce deal after they conveyed commitment by the occupation forces [Israel] to all provisions of the deal.”

The Cairo News website reported that "Israel" would allow the entry of another 100 aid trucks, some of which would head to the northern Gaza Strip, to continue implementing the temporary truce agreement without violations.

The site confirmed that Egypt would ensure that unmanned Israeli military aerial vehicles do not violate the airspace of the southern Gaza Strip. These steps confirm "Israel's" compliance with Hamas' demands.