Palestinian man celebrates son’s long-awaited release from Israeli jail

Yasser Abu Azzoum, a Palestinian in Gaza whose 23-year-old son Mohammed is set to be released from Israeli prison today, says the feeling is “indescribable”.

“I’m not able to speak properly because I am overwhelmed with joy,” he told Al Jazeera in Khan Younis.

“I was arrested along with my son from the same shelter in 2023. I haven’t seen him in two years. My joy today is much greater than it was on the day I was released.”

Abu Azzoum said his wife gave birth to another child while his elder son was in prison.

“We will be reunited and will spend the rest of our days in joy,” he added.

‘A day of mixed emotions for Palestinian families’

Today is a good day for many Palestinian families. Some are preparing to welcome their sons home after years in Israeli prisons. But for others, there is still uncertainty.

Families are waiting to find out where their relatives will be sent – whether they will return to Gaza, be sent to the occupied West Bank or deported.

Those details remain unclear. The Israeli security establishment and government requested these deportations, a practice Israel has used in the past to prevent freed prisoners from reuniting with their loved ones at home.

In previous exchange deals, families have waited anxiously to see relatives released from detention, only to learn they could not leave the West Bank to meet family members deported elsewhere. Many of those freed today will face similar restrictions. They will not be able to cross back into the West Bank to see their families.

For some families, this moment comes too late. The mother of a prisoner from Aida refugee camp, who waited 32 years for her son’s release, died in August before she could see him free. For many, the day will be filled with both joy and grief.


_{Families wait for their relatives on the day Palestinian prisoners are released from an Israeli jail as part of a captive-prisoner swap and ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, occupied West Bank, October 13}

What is happening in the occupied West Bank?

While all eyes are on Gaza right now as Israeli captives are released, Israeli forces continue to conduct raids in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli families react to release of first group of captives

Israeli media have identified the first seven captives who were freed as Matan Angrest, brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor, Omri Miran, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal.

The group is now in Israeli territory and is set to reunite with their families at the Re’im military base in southern Israel.

Ohel’s parents told The Times of Israel that their son “looks amazing” and is “standing on his own two feet”, while Mor’s mother told Ynet News her son “looks great, although thin and pale”.


_{Freed hostage Evyatar David sees his friends for the first time, as they shout to him: “Evyatar, you’re a king!”}

Some captives telephone families before their release: Reports

The Times of Israel and Ynet News are reporting that Hamas has allowed some of the Israeli captives who are yet to be freed in Gaza to contact their families before their release.

Among them was Matan Zangauker, who telephoned his mother, Einav.

“You’re coming home — you’re all coming home,” she told her son, according to The Times of Israel. “There’s no more war.”

Ynet also reported that the parents of Nimrod Cohen and the brothers, David and Ariel Cunio, also spoke to their sons by telephone via a Hamas connection.

All remaining surviving captives now in Red Cross custody: Reports

Reuters and Israel’s Ynet News are reporting that the 13 remaining alive captives have been transferred by Hamas to ICRC custody.

Release of captives timed to coincide with Trump’s arrival in Israel

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority has confirmed that the Red Cross has received the remaining 13 living Israeli captives, and they will soon be handed over to the custody of the Israeli military, which, of course, is still present in 53 percent of Gaza.

That means that we are in the process of concluding the release of all living Israeli captives, and that is all happening as US President Trump arrived in Israel.

These are important developments, and the choreography is not coincidental.

Remaining in Gaza are the bodies of 28 Israeli captives, and it is not clear how many of them will be released today. But the Israeli authorities, the American side, and the mediators knew well ahead that the possibility of all of them returning today is quite low, for logistical reasons because of the continued presence of Israeli forces on the ground in Gaza and, really, the utter devastation that the Israeli military has created in the territory.

Retrieving the bodies, knowing where they are, and locating them is a very difficult task, and it may need the intervention of outside experts.

Siblings learn their brother, a Palestinian prisoner, will be exiled

Muhammad Imran’s family came out early to wait for his release but were shocked to find out that he is among more than 100 Palestinian political prisoners who Israel has decided to exile.

This means they could not see him again, except in the unlikely chance that Israel allows them to leave Palestine to meet him overseas.

Muhammad, 43, was arrested in December 2022 and sentenced to 13 life terms.

Muhammad’s sister Ibtisam and brother Raed were overjoyed when he got a call from the Israeli prison to tell them Muhammad would be released.

“I received a call from an Israeli intelligence officer, confirming that my brother would be released home. He asked us not to show any joy or receive well-wishers. Later, the Israeli army raided our home at night, asking where Muhammad would be staying after his release,” Raed said.

“Today’s news was a shock, but we are still waiting. Maybe we’ll get to see him somehow. What matters is that he is released, here or abroad.”

_{Muhammad Imran’s sister Ibtisam and brother Raed}

Israeli military fires tear gas, rubber bullets at Palestinians waiting for prisoner releases

An Israeli armoured vehicle has fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians gathered near Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where hundreds had assembled to await the release of prisoners, The Associated Press reports.

The vehicle, flying an Israeli flag, approached the hill overlooking the prison as drones hovered overhead, and it dispersed the crowd with gas and rubber rounds.

The incident followed the circulation of a flyer warning that anyone showing support for the prisoners could face arrest. Families of Palestinian detainees had gathered at the site in anticipation of the planned release.

Buses carrying Palestinian prisoners arrive in Ramallah

Live footage shows buses carrying some of the Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arriving in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Earlier, buses carrying released prisoners also moved from Negev Prison in southern Israel to Gaza.

Israeli forces fire smoke bomb at journalists around Ofer Prison

Sources have told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces have fired smoke bombs at journalists around Ofer Prison, from which Palestinian prisoners were freed.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office reported that buses carrying released prisoners from the prison were heading to Ramallah.

Huge crowd cheers released Palestinians upon arrival

Enormous crowds have cheered the released Palestinians getting off the buses that transported them from Ofer Prison to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Family members and friends were seen hugging the men upon their arrival.

_{Freed Palestinians are greeted by their families in Ramallah}

_{A Palestinian man released from Israeli jail embraces his daughter}

Hamas hails prisoner exchange as great day for Palestinians

Hamas’s director of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office has spoken to Al Jazeera about the ongoing prisoner exchange taking place. Here are the director’s translated comments:

Israel sends 154 freed Palestinians to Egypt

The Prisoners’ Media Office says 154 Palestinian detainees freed under the Gaza ceasefire agreement have been sent to Egypt.

“The 154 Palestinian prisoners deported abroad were received and transferred to the Arab Republic of Egypt to complete their release procedures as part of the implementation of the Free Flood 3 deal,” it said.

The prisoners are among hundreds released as part of the ongoing exchange agreement linked to the ceasefire, which also saw 20 Israeli captives released from Gaza.

Israeli forces assault brother of released prisoner near Jerusalem

The Wafa news agency is reporting that Israeli forces have assaulted the brother of a recently released Palestinian prisoner during a raid on their home in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of Jerusalem.

Soldiers stormed the home of Ayman al-Kurd, released today under the Gaza ceasefire deal, and beat up his brother, causing fractures and bruises to his nose and foot. Soldiers also damaged property and warned families of freed prisoners against holding celebrations.

Wafa added that Israeli forces also raided several areas in the occupied West Bank, including al-Khader, al-Ubeidiya, and Dar Salah, without reporting any arrests.

In a separate incident, Israeli settlers reportedly blocked the main Ramallah-Nablus road near al-Lubban Asharqiya, where they brandished weapons outside two schools.

Trump says Hamas received US approval to rearm

Trump has said the US is aware that Hamas is “rearming” in Gaza and claimed the group had been given US approval to do so “for a period of time”.

Asked by a reporter on board Air Force One before his arrival in Israel about reports that Hamas was “rearming” and instituting itself as a Palestinian police force, Trump said the group was attempting to restore order after months of war.

“They’ve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time,” he said. “You have to understand – they’ve lost probably 60,000 people. That’s a lot of retribution,” he argued.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,000 people, including more than 20,000 children.

Trump also said the US wanted to ensure returning residents could rebuild safely, describing Gaza as “literally demolished” and saying “a lot of bad things can happen” as people return.

The timeline for Hamas’s decommissioning of weapons has become one of the main sticking points within the ceasefire deal, with negotiators divided over how and when disarmament should take place.

Hamas + PIJ lost 8,900 fighters at most according to Israeli military data
https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/aug/21/revealed-israeli-militarys-own-data-indicates-civilian-death-rate-of-83-in-gaza-war

Plus the real death toll is far far higher than the official count. Only bodies arriving at the hospital that are both identified and confirmed to be killed by direct fire are included in the official death toll. Unidentified, died later of wounds/complications, stuck under the rubble, buried by family, all doesn't count. The death toll will continue to go up as more bodies are found. 

A census of who are left is probably going to send shockwaves :/

EU to resume Rafah border control mission

The European Union will resume its monitoring mission at the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

“Securing peace in Gaza will be extraordinarily complex,” Kallas said in a post on X. “The EU stands ready to do its part. On Wednesday, it will restart a civilian mission to monitor the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.”

EU pledges support for Gaza reconstruction, reforming PA

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU will help reform the Palestinian Authority (PA) and fund the reconstruction of Gaza.

In a post on X, von der Leyen welcomed the ceasefire deal’s finalisation in Sharm el-Sheikh later today, calling it “a historical milestone”.

“The return of the Israeli hostages is a moment of pure joy for those families. And a moment of relief for the entire world. It means that a page can be turned. A new chapter can begin,” she wrote.

“Europe fully supports the peace plan brokered by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye. We stand ready to contribute to its success with all tools at our disposal, in particular by providing support on governance and for the reform of the Palestinian Authority.

“We will be an active force within the Palestinian Donors Group and will provide EU funding for the reconstruction of Gaza.”

Von der Leyen said the agreement ending the war represented “a new chapter” for the region.

Palestinian President Abbas to attend Egypt summit

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will attend the summit on Gaza that will take place in Egypt today, Macron says.

The summit, co-chaired by Trump and el-Sisi, will see more than 20 leaders gather to mark the Gaza ceasefire and the return of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Neither Israel nor Hamas will be represented at the summit.

Reports suggest Netanyahu may travel to Egypt for international summit

There’s no official confirmation yet, but Israeli media and some Arabic-language outlets are reporting that upon Trump’s insistence, Netanyahu may also be attending the Sharm el-Sheikh summit and that there was a phone call between him and the Egyptian president.

We have to wait and see if there’s an official statement – but this was something that really was a poke in the eye for Netanyahu.

On the one hand, this summit is discussing the future of Gaza, of reconstruction, of Palestine in general – all of which are subjects which Netanyahu doesn’t want to touch.

And on the other hand, the detractors of Netanyahu in Israel have been telling him, “Why were you not invited? You don’t seem to be very popular in the region, and certainly it doesn’t look like you have a lot of influence over the events.”

So it’s really a Catch-22 for the Israeli prime minister – not attending would make him look quite isolated and irrelevant, attending would make him look like he’s complicit in ending the war and for his right-wing allies in the government a breaking point.

Netanyahu to attend summit in Egypt

Israel’s prime minister will attend the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt later today, Egypt’s presidential spokesperson says.

Netanyahu will not attend today’s Egypt summit

The Israeli PM’s office has confirmed that Netanyahu will not attend the summit in Egypt later today.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Trump to participate in a conference taking place today in Egypt,” a statement by his office on X said.

“The Prime Minister thanked President Trump for his invitation but stated that he would not be able to attend due to the proximity of the event to the start of the holiday.”

Earlier today, the White House and Egypt’s presidency said the Israeli PM would be in attendance.

‘A new beginning’, says Trump

“This is my great honour, a great and beautiful day. A new beginning,” the US president wrote in a guest book as he arrived in the Israeli Knesset, with Netanyahu and his wife Sara by his side.