Rabat – Israel released this afternoon 333 Palestinian prisoners, marking the sixth hostage swap as part of the Gaza ceasefire signed between the two parties.
The freed prisoners were forced by Israeli prison authorities to wear shirts showing the David star and the quote “We will not forget or forgive” in Arabic.
Hamas condemned the mistreatment of its prisoners. In a statement, the group said: “We condemn the occupation’s crime of placing racist slogans on the backs of our heroic prisoners, and treating them with cruelty and violence, in a blatant violation of humanitarian laws and norms.”
After being welcomed by their loved ones with great joy, prisoners shared stories of torture and inhumane conditions they underwent at Israeli prisons, with some commenting “I am born again.”
One of the prisoners told Al Jazeera “We were tortured,” expressing his inability to describe the situation they lived in, adding that “diseases were all over the place” with no medical care at all, leading to people’s deaths.
Hamas released three Israeli hostages this morning, while Israel freed 36 Palestinians as part of the ceasefire processes.
Reports of Israel committing inhumane acts towards Palestinian prisoners are not new. During the IOF genocide on Gaza, Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem released a harrowing report on abuse that was being carried out in Megiddo Prison.
The report collected the testimonies of 55 Palestinian prisoners and was titled “Welcome to Hell,” reportedly quoting what an Israeli prison guard would say to detainees when they entered the compound.
Conditions in the Israeli prisons are a stark violation of international law with targeted torture that amounts to “a war crime and even a crime against humanity,” the report said.
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A heated standstill
The sixth hostage swap comes amid tensions, as Hamas previously said it would pause the release of hostages due to Israel’s violations of the ceasefire terms. Among the violations, they mentioned that Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have fired on Palestinians, delayed Gazans to return to the north, and also obstructed vital aid to the enclave.
To make matters worse? US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social account: “Israel will now have to decide what they will do about the 12:00 O’CLOCK, TODAY, DEADLINE imposed on the release of ALL HOSTAGES.”
What this means? Trump’s statement signals that Israel and its ally are working on imposing a unilateral, one-sided agreement for the next round of talks, of which indirect talks are expected to take place by the beginning of next week.
The already fragile-ceasefire has been undergoing unequal shifts, especially since Trump took office.
The second round of the truce talks were delayed by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until he met with Trump, and following the meeting the newly elected president said that the US plans to “take over” Gaza, forcibly displacing Palestinians.
The statements were met with international condemnation by multiple world leaders as well as rejection by Hamas. Analysts believe the proposals threaten ethnic cleansing.
The future outlook of the next round of talks is uncertain, as Netanyahu has recently vowed to “crash” Hamas, showing little signs of stepping down its hostilities.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian group is firmly holding the ground and rejects any plans to relocate Palestinians.
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