Released Palestinians say they are fatigued and hungry
Joy, tears as Palestinian prisoners reunite with families in Ramallah
This release is the last in phase one of the ceasefire agreement.
Some of the Palestinian prisoners who spoke to the media in the occupied West Bank spoke of being fatigued, of being hungry, of losing a lot of their body weight, of being starved in the past 16 months.
We know that 43 Palestinians serving life and long sentences were released to the occupied West Bank, about six to occupied East Jerusalem, and 97 will be exiled out of the occupied territory to Egypt, at least temporarily.
And 11 who were serving life or long sentences were from Gaza, so they will be returned there.
Then there are 445 Palestinians who were disappeared from Gaza by the Israeli army during the war. These were civilians who were taken from their homes, their shelters, from hospitals, and no one knew much about their fate.
Israel has refused up until now to disclose that information.
Human rights organisations estimate thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, dead and alive, are in Israeli custody.
There are also 46 women and children who will also be released.
Let’s remember these are scheduled releases for three separate releases of Israeli captives and bodies of those killed during the war.
Ambulances carrying wounded Palestinian detainees arrive in Gaza
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in cooperation with the Gaza Health Ministry, has concluded preparations to receive the released Palestinian detainees here at the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
As you can hear right now, there is celebratory gunfire as a number of vehicles carrying injured Palestinian detainees have arrived. We have been updated by the Red Cross that a number of injured detainees have been sent here due to the severity of their cases.
But at the moment, we are still waiting for the arrival of the buses that are carrying the released Palestinian detainees. We understand that at least 590 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza will be released from Israeli prisons.
They will be reunited with loved ones who are waiting for them desperately outside the European Hospital in these late hours of the night.
Israel releases 97 Palestinian prisoners to Egypt
The Reuters news agency is reporting that Israel has now handed over some 97 Palestinian prisoners to Egypt. These are the group of Palestinian prisoners who are being exiled from Palestine, with Egypt as their first destination.
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