Palestinians Freed by Israel Include Social Media Detainees


Palestinians Freed by Israel Include Social Media Detainees

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israel has released Palestinians, including prisoners detained over social media posts, as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement.

Among those recently freed by Israel are individuals who were arrested for their social media activity. One 18-year-old, waiting for her mother’s release, spoke of her mother’s arrest in January 2024 in the occupied West Bank for posts she made on Facebook.

“I’ll hug her right away. Of course, I’ll hug her. At first, it’ll just be tears of joy,” the daughter said, recalling the moment her mother was arrested. “They accused her of incitement because of posts she wrote on Facebook,” she added, labeling the charges “ridiculous” for a middle-aged health worker.

The father of another man awaiting release also informed AFP that his son had been imprisoned for his social media activity. Additionally, journalist Rula Hassanein, who was arrested for expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, was also among those freed early on Monday.

Despite the releases, there are no guarantees that those freed will not be arrested again. Past releases highlight this uncertainty, such as in the case of Nael al-Barghouti, who was freed in 2011 after 34 years in prison but spent only three years as a free man before being re-arrested.

Rose Khwais, one of those released on the first day of the ceasefire deal, described her deteriorating health during her imprisonment. “We used to see the sky through small squares. I used to say, ‘I hope I will see the sky without these squares,’” she shared after returning to her family home in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds.

“The moment they took us out of prison, I saw the mountains of Carmel and the sky,” she said, recounting her first breath of freedom. However, she also described the lack of medical treatment during her time in detention. “I had symptoms of a stroke, liquid around the heart, and also blood pressure problems. I wasn’t afraid of the illnesses, I was worried that my family would know that I got sick.”

Looking ahead, more exchanges are expected under the ongoing ceasefire.

In the coming weeks, four Israeli captives will be freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, continuing weekly releases until the end of the 42-day agreement.

Discussions for a second phase are set to begin after the 16th day, followed by a third phase as the ceasefire holds.

Many Palestinians remain hopeful that the agreement will result in further releases of their loved ones.

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