Targeting released prisoners in exchange deals.. A constant approach of the occupation to retaliate against the liberated prisoners

 

The Israeli occupation authorities deliberately target released prisoners after every prisoner exchange deal with Palestinian political parties by re-arresting them, disregarding the guarantees provided and agreed upon with the parties overseeing the exchange agreements. Often, the Israeli authorities present what they call "secret files," based on which the released prisoners are prosecuted and returned to their previous life sentences. This occurred in the case of the liberated prisoners from the “Wafa al-Ahrar” deal in 2011. After releasing 1,027 Palestinian male and female prisoners, the occupation authorities re-arrested around 70 of them, presenting secret files against 49 prisoners to annul their release as part of the ongoing pursuit of released prisoners.

After the outbreak of the comprehensive Israeli aggression against Palestinians and the genocidal war after the seventh of October, an agreement was reached for a prisoner exchange between Palestinian political parties and the occupation by the end of November. The occupation authorities released 240 Palestinian male and female prisoners from various cities and provinces. However, in this instance as well, the Israeli authorities violated the terms of the latest deal by re-arresting 8 of the released prisoners, including one female and seven children. The re-arrested individuals are: Yousef f Al-Khatib from Jericho, Ahmad Al-Khashan from Jenin, Mohammad Tarabi from Nablus, Sultan Sarhan from Jerusalem, Obadah Hossam from Silwad, Mahran Hamidan from the village of Biddu, and Yehya Erhimi from the city of Ramallah, in addition to Asil Khader from Ramallah.

As part of the ongoing pursuit of released prisoners from exchange deals, the Israeli authorities also summoned the liberated prisoner Fadwa Hamadeh to the Magistrate's Court in Haifa, accusing her of committing violations during the years of her imprisonment against the police of the Prison Service. Additionally, the liberated child prisoner, Nufouz Hamad, was summoned on January 31, 2023, to attend a trial session at the Netanya court regarding a case filed against her by prison guards at the beginning of her detention in the Hasharon prison.

The Israeli targeting of released prisoners from exchange deals does not stop at their re-arrest; it extends beyond to the point of assassinating them, specifically those expelled to the Gaza Strip during different wars on Gaza. Since the beginning of the recent aggression in October on Gaza, the occupation has targeted the homes of released prisoners deported to the Gaza Strip, resulting in the loss of lives, including some of their family members. This is part of the repeated targeting and the ongoing approach of pursuing and seeking revenge against them even after their release.