Israel Releases Nearly 2,000 Palestinian Prisoners Under Ceasefire Agreement

Under a recent ceasefire agreement, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages held by Hamas. The release includes 250 individuals convicted of involvement in violent attacks, many serving life sentences, and approximately 1,700 Gaza residents detained without formal charges during the two-year conflict.

Among those released is Ali Abdel Latif Mustafa Sais from the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, who was serving a life sentence after his arrest in October 2005. Israeli prosecutors accused him of planning an attempted suicide bombing inside Israel, a charge he denied. His return to Jenin was met with public celebrations.

Some of the released individuals have been deported to Egypt, where they are staying in a Cairo hotel under guard for their protection, according to an official Palestinian commission overseeing prisoner affairs. The commission noted that these individuals do not yet have passports, and it remains unclear whether they will be relocated to other countries.

The majority of those released, approximately 1,700 individuals, were Gaza residents detained by Israel during the conflict without formal charges or trials. Israel's military stated that these individuals were detained during searches for militants. Rights groups and Palestinians have reported that many were held incommunicado for extended periods, a practice that U.N. officials have described as a form of forced disappearance.

The number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons more than doubled since the Gaza war began in October 2023, surpassing 11,000 before the recent ceasefire, according to HaMoked, an Israeli rights group. Following the prisoner release, about 9,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli custody.

Israeli and international rights groups, along with the United Nations, have accused Israel of systematically violating detainees' rights by holding them without charge, in secrecy, and in degrading conditions. More than 75 detainees have died in Israeli custody since the war began, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. Israel maintains that imprisoned Palestinians are treated in accordance with international standards.