In Gaza the view was the same as large crowds gathered outside Kerem Shalom crossing point east of Rafah City waiting to reunite with their sons and loved ones.
Israel released 550 prisoners among them six women within the second and the final phase of swap deal between Hamas and Israel in exchange for the former captured Israeli soldier Gila’ad Shaleet. The first phase of the swap deal witnessed the release of 477 Palestinian prisoners on October 18, most of them were serving life sentences.
Most of the released prisoners returned to their homes in West Bank via the Beituniya crossing near Ramallah, while the rest 41 of Gaza prisoners entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
In Gaza, two buses with 41 prisoners, escorted by the International Committee of the Red Cross, passed through the Rafah crossing and were reunited by hundreds of relatives waving flags representing the different Palestinian parties.
Israel delayed releasing the prisoners for two hours out of the scheduled time in an attempt to kill the happiness of the prisoners’ families.
“We are all happy , but our happiness is mixed with sadness because we left our friends in the Israeli prisons, we hope the freedom for all of them” A Palestinian prisoner said..
Local sources confirmed that all the released prisoners in this phase are affiliated to Fatah movement, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Israel stated that it will not release any prisoner who is affiliated to Hamas Movement or Islamic Jihad Movement.
The Israeli daily Haarets said that the Israeli government selected which prisoners would be freed in coordination with Egypt. And no prisoner in this phase is convicted of killing Israelis.
The swap was completed after five years of delicate negotiations, Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal – brokered by Egypt – which saw the release of Shalit in exchange of 1,027 Palestinians.
With completing this phase, the total agreed number released prisoners reached to be 1,027. Israel refused to release Fatah strongman, Marwan Barghouthi, and PFLP Secretary-General, Ahmad Saadat, in addition to dozens of political leaders and members of the resistance.
