GAZA: Freed Palestinian prisoners deported to Gaza in a thousand-for-one swap deal between Israel and Hamas are grateful for their release

Record ID: 1543116

  • Title: GAZA: Freed Palestinian prisoners deported to Gaza in a thousand-for-one swap deal between Israel and Hamas are grateful for their release
  • Date: 20th October 2011
  • Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (OCTOBER 19, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF FAMILY HOME OF WAFA EL BISS, THE ONLY FEMALE PRISONER IN GAZA WALL WITH GRAFFITI OF WAFA EL BISS
  • Embargoed: 4th November 2011 01:59
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Gaza, Gaza
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Conflict,Domestic Politics,Religion,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA6KIA32SODF2UY0ZZW759BZI6E
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: From a prison cell to a hero's welcome and a five-star hotel stay, 165 freed Palestinian prisoners who were deported to Gaza said the first day of freedom on Wednesday (October 19), was a news dawn.
    Salem Thwaib, 30 years-old, from Bethlehem, spent most of this morning walking around inside the Al-Mashtal beach front hotel, something prisoners used to do in prisons to stretch their muscles.
    The walk felt different as Thwaib walked past a large swimming pool surrounded by date trees and overlooking Gaza's sandy beach and his sight sailed across the waves of the Mediterranean sea.
    "Coming to Gaza is much better than being in prison, and whomever does not believe it should go to prison and se for himself," said Thwaib, who spent 10 years in an Israel jail of a life term he had been sentenced for assisting a suicide bomber from the Islamist Hamas group to a destination to blow himself up against Israelis in 2002.
    The bomber pressed the button but the device did not explode.
    Thwaib was among 165 freed prisoners who came originally from cities and villages in the West Bank, who sent to Gaza. They were divided between Al-Mashtal, which housed 105, and another hotel in Gaza City.
    Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas administration in the coastal enclave ordered the payment of 588,000 U.S. dollars for the total of 294 freed prisoners in Gaza.
    Thwaib would have to spend the rest of his life in Gaza.
    Bilal Mohammad, a thirty year-old from Nablus is also among those deported.
    His mother Fatima who came to visit him, said she was only in Gaza to visit and would go back to their home town of Nablus in a few days.
    "Thank God the moment we got down from the bus and touched free soil, I had indescribable feeling of joy," Bilal said.
    His mother said that she was happy for her son's release, but sad that he would not be able to spend time and be with the rest of his family who are living in Nablus.
    Bilal's son was sentence for 20 years charged with complicity in the killing of a Jewish settler in 2002 but never admitted to the charges.
    "I am not sad the people of Gaza are our brothers and our loved ones, but his brothers and sisters and relatives are all there (in Nablus)," he said.
    Israel released on Tuesday 1,027 Palestinian prisoners including 27 females in exchange to its soldier Gilad Shalit whom had been abducted by fighters from Hamas another two factions during a cross-border attack in 2006. Egyptian security officials mediated the deal.
    In Khan Younis people lined up to greet Yehya Al-Sinwar, a top Hamas security strategist who spent 23 years in jail.
    "It is an indescribable feeling, in all honesty. There is no doubt that this is a nationalistic moment par excellence. It is one of the big strategic monuments in the history of our cause. So we are living a moment of unusual joy," he said.
    He said he was unsure if he would resume his activities with Hamas saying that he needs to catch up with his social and family life.
    In Gaza City, women gathered in the home of Wafa al-Biss, a member of President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah movement, who served 12 years for a failed suicide bomb attack.
    Al Biss was arrested in 2005 while wearing an explosive built intending to blow herself near Israeli soldiers at the Erez crossing with Gaza.
    Al-Biss, who had joined prisoners on hunger strike while in jail, refused to suspend her strike even after she was freed in solidarity with those still in prison.
    "This morning I woke up twice to get ready for what is referred to in Hebrew as 'count'. I got up put my veil on and waited for the counting to begin. I woke up disoriented, then I realised that no I am in my room, not a cell, I am in my room with my family," she said.
    Later, speaking to dozens of children who arrived at her house to pay their respect, urged the children to pursue a path of martyrdom.
    Children burst in cheer waving Palestinian flags and screaming "We will give souls and blood to redeem the prisoners. We will give souls and blood for you Palestine."
    After taking some time to settle down, al-Bisssaid she would rejoin her university and complete her study of psychology.
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