BEITUNIA, West Bank — Loud cheers filled the air on Monday as Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners after a Gaza ceasefire deal. The agreement included an exchange in which Hamas freed several Israeli hostages, marking a major moment in the region’s ongoing conflict.
Excited crowds gathered in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza to welcome the released prisoners. People waved flags and flashed V-for-victory signs while the freed men and women stepped off buses from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In Beitunia, supporters wrapped the returnees in traditional keffiyeh scarves to celebrate their national pride. Many lifted the prisoners onto their shoulders, while others simply sat down in relief, visibly drained from their ordeal.
Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old Fatah member from Tulkarem, described the painful experience of imprisonment. He said the years behind bars brought endless hunger, harsh treatment, and deep emotional scars. “It was an indescribable journey of suffering — filled with oppression, torture, and endless struggle,” he shared, his voice heavy with emotion.
As families reunited, the atmosphere blended joy, exhaustion, and hope. The prisoner release, part of the Gaza truce, brought a rare moment of unity for many Palestinians who continue to dream of freedom and peace.
His face looked gaunt and tired. He said he lost 139 pounds (59 kilograms) while in prison.
“We don’t even recognize him anymore. He’s not the person we once knew. Our uncle doesn’t look like our uncle,” said his niece, Farah Abu Shanab. Her words reflected the shock and sadness his family felt after seeing him again.
The recent releases included about 1,700 Palestinians. Israeli troops had taken them from Gaza during the 2-year war and held them without charge. Their families waited anxiously for their return, hoping for justice and peace.
In addition, Israel freed 250 Palestinians who had received prison sentences. Most of them faced convictions for deadly attacks on Israelis many years ago, while others served time for lesser crimes, according to Israel’s Justice Ministry. Out of these, Israel exiled 154 individuals and sent them to neighboring Egypt. Officials in Egypt said they would later transfer them to third countries.
Meanwhile, the remaining freed individuals returned to their homes in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. Their families welcomed them with tears, prayers, and hope for a better future.
A special moment
The releases hit everyone hard. Israelis feel pain and anger—some of the released men once killed civilians and soldiers. Palestinians feel a mix of relief, joy, and pride. Almost every family knows someone locked up by Israel, usually a young man.
For Israelis, these men represent terror. For Palestinians, they represent courage. They see them as people who refused to give in to decades of occupation. Families remember the long nights worrying about them. Friends remember the fear, the uncertainty, the constant hope that they would come home.
In Khan Younis, the streets overflowed with life. People hugged, laughed, cried, and even fired guns into the air. The freed men walked out in gray jumpsuits, exhausted but alive. Families rushed to guide them to hospitals, to check their bodies, to make sure they were okay.
At the same time, soldiers still raid homes, shelters, and checkpoints. Families run from town to town, searching for safety while fear chases them. Pain, anger, and grief sit heavy in every street. And yet, in the midst of it all, hope flickers—small, stubborn, and alive.
A Palestinian prisoner makes the victory sign after being released from an Israeli prison as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, upon his arrival in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday.
Many families had no idea their relatives faced detention. Moreover, it often took months to confirm if Israel held them. Sometimes, families never received confirmation at all.
Initially, Israel passed laws at the start of the war. These laws allowed authorities to hold Palestinians for months as “unlawful combatants” without judicial review or lawyer access. Consequently, detainees often faced legal uncertainty and emotional distress.
Human rights organizations, the U.N., and former detainees report frequent abuse in detention centers. For example, beatings, poor food, and harsh conditions occur routinely. In addition, advocates warn that these practices affect mental and physical health.
Israel insists it follows prison standards under law. Furthermore, authorities claim they investigate every reported violation. Still, roughly 1,300 Palestinians from Gaza remain in Israeli custody, according to Hamoked’s September count.
Alerts to avoid celebrating
Irrespective of Israeli threats, there were celebrations throughout West Bank. The government had issued a flyer telling everybody who backed up the so-called terrorist groups risked being arrested. However, Palestinians kept on amassing.
Groups of people spread the hills near Ofer Prison to make it clear that they supported it. Soon, an armored Israeli vehicle came in their direction and used tear gas and rubber bullets. People started to run as much as they could in all directions as the drones flew by.
In the meantime, Israeli military declined to respond to questions of the reporters. Nevertheless, the eyewitnesses on the ground reported tense moments and increasing tension. The scenario underscores the fact that there are prolonged battles and tensions in the area.
Who is included on the list?
Hamas published a list of Gaza detainees who lately became liberated including two women, six teenagers under 18 years, and approximately 30 men over 60 years. All in all, there are 250 convicted prisoners that fall between the age of 19 and 64. They include 159 that are affiliated to the political party Fatah that is the governing party of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and 63 affiliated to Hamas. The other detainees are in the other groups, or do not belong to any political group.
A large number of these people were apprehended throughout the first days of the 21 st century and that is the time the Second Intifada was undertaken as a Palestinian revolt due to the continued Israeli occupation even with the peace negotiations. Palestinian armed groups used to attack and kill hundreds of Israelis during that period. In the meantime, Israeli army killed several thousand Palestinians heating tensions to the extremes on both sides.
Some of the prisoners had to go through military trials, which the human rights activists criticize as lacking of due process. Those were detained in administrative prisons for several months or even years without trial. Israel justifies this action saying that it stops attack and sensitive intelligence information, yet Palestinians and various international human rights groups often criticize it.
Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody waved to the crowd in Ramallah on Monday after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas
Hamas has not included around half a dozen of their most prominent prisoners, such as Marwan Barghouti, Hassan Salameh, Ahmed Saadat, and Abbas Al-Sayyed. Barghouti stands out as a highly controversial figure because most of the populace views him as a potential successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
He continues to play an active role in Palestinian politics, and his supporters often see him as a unifying force. Analysts also suggest that he might not appear on the list, which could influence future negotiations and local political dynamics. As a result, this kind of exclusion carries significant political implications and sparks heated debate.
Israel provides the following list of released prisoners:
Raed Sheikh
In 2000, a 51-year-old Palestinian police officer and Fatah member, Sheikh, received multiple life sentences. He actively participated in the killing of two Israeli soldiers during a violent mob attack at a West Bank police station.
Furthermore, one soldier tragically died after the mob threw him from the station’s window. Consequently, Sheikh faced severe legal consequences for his direct involvement in these attacks.
Mahmoud Issa
A 57-year-old Hamas commander received a life sentence in 1993, years before the Oslo peace accords. In that same year, authorities convicted Issa of kidnapping and killing a 29-year-old Israeli border police officer.
Over more than three decades in prison, he endured long periods of solitary confinement. Consequently, human rights groups now view him as a prominent symbol for prisoners’ rights.
Shamasneh brothers
In 1993, the two brothers, 56-year-old Mohammed and 62-year-old Abdel Jawad Shamasneh, received multiple life sentences. They had stabbed Israeli hitchhikers, whose bodies authorities later discovered in a Jerusalem riverbed in 1990.
During the first Palestinian intifada, this violent attack shocked communities. Consequently, courts held the brothers fully accountable for their actions, emphasizing justice for the victims and their families.
Iyad Fatafta
A 47-year-old Fatah member, Fatafta, currently serves a life sentence. Moreover, authorities convicted him and another man of murdering American tourist Kristine Luken. During the attack, her hiking companion survived.
Consequently, the case drew international attention and sparked widespread discussions about tourist safety. Furthermore, investigators highlighted the brutal stabbing as a stark reminder of ongoing regional security challenges.
