Sorrow, elation as Palestinians witness the release of Israeli captives

Khan Younis, Gaza – Since 8am, 32-year-old Abu Yusuf* has been standing in a crowd near the rubble of the former home of Yahya Sinwar, the slain Hamas political and military leader, in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. With his four-year-old son perched on his shoulders, he has been waiting to catch a glimpse of the two Israeli captives set to be released.

In addition to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group’s black banners and green Hamas flags, thousands of people have gathered around Abu Yusuf. There were also portraits of Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader killed by Israel, images of Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthis, and Fathi Shaqaqi, the late founder of the Islamic Jihad.

Abu Yusuf, “I’m proud to see these prisoners released in exchange for countless Palestinians who have spent decades imprisoned in Israel,” he added.

The releases come as part of a high-stakes ceasefire agreement that aims to put an end to months of conflict starting on October 7, 2023, with Hamas fighters launching deadly attacks on Israel. 33 Israeli prisoners will be released in accordance with the deal that came into force on January 19 and last six weeks. In return, up to 1, 650 Palestinian prisoners could be freed from Israeli jails.

The third exchange since the ceasefire began on Thursday saw the release of 20-year-old soldier Agam Berger in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, as well as of five Thai nationals in Khan Younis through an armed handover led by Islamic Jihad’s wing, al-Quds Brigades.

Later in the day, Israeli authorities released 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 32 serving life sentences and 30 minors.

Abu Yusuf claimed to have waited more than four hours to arrive early after walking more than five kilometers (three miles) from his village and waiting for more than five hours to witness the captives’ release.

He claims that his loss in the war was not in vain because of their release in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. “These scenes”, he said, “help ease the pain of losing my two-story home and relatives to Israeli air strikes”.

Abu Yusuf proudly gestured toward them as black balaclava-clad fighters rolled past armored pick-up trucks.

“The resistance fighters are still here, alive, and capable of striking back”, he said. The occupation has failed to break us, the entire exchange is a reminder.

‘ People’s steadfastness ‘

People waved banners along Khan Younis’ crowded Fifth Street, where the handover took place, and where Sinwar’s home was located, as they passed through what many in the crowd described as “a symbolic victory.”

Two women waved handwritten signs thanking Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis for their support. One of them, Yasmin*, 28, clutched a banner reading, “To all who stood with us, our victory is yours”.

“We’re here to thank every nation that backed our resistance, especially Iran,]Lebanon’s] Hezbollah, and Yemen”, she said. “But our people’s steadfastness brought us here”.

As they watched the handover, hundreds of protesters climbed onto the remains of destroyed homes.

As the crowd chanted celebratory songs and filmed on smartphones, the two-hour delay did little to dampen the crowd’s fervour.

As they passed through the crowd and toward International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representatives, the two Israeli captives were heavily guarded as they were flanked by masked al-Quds Brigades fighters.

As the captives were led away, young men close to them jeered as they rushed forward to take photos.

Mohammed*, 22, his voice edged with sarcasm, called out, “Arbel, you’ve caused us so much trouble”, referring to the controversy over Arbel Yehud’s release, which led to a tense standoff between negotiators and frustration among Palestinians.

Yehud should have been released last Saturday, according to Israel, but Hamas accused her of breaking the deal and then forbade Palestinians to go back to their homes in the north. In the event of an agreement, thousands of Palestinians who had been displaced from northern Gaza could now return to their homes.

“Go back to your family. We’re better off without you”! he shouted.

The cost was “the price we paid.”

People among the onlookers described feeling happy and sorrow following a war that has claimed the lives of 111, 111, and 111, respectively, of Palestinians.

Cries of “Allah Akbar”!, a phrase often heard during Eid celebrations, rang through the streets, the sounds of jubilation at odds with the destruction all around. The farmland has been razed, the olive trees are charred, and Khan Younis’ homes are in disrepair.

Abdul Qadir*, a 63-year-old with a white beard and wire-framed glasses, stood off to the side, watching in silence.

“We shouldn’t be seeking strife with any Arab nation or the international community”, he told Al Jazeera.

Gesturing at the ruins around him, he said, “The credit goes to the Palestinians”, who have withstood more than 15 months of relentless shelling, surviving “a genocide”.

The world saw us because of our resilience. We endured the bombs, the sieges, the loss. But what remains”? he asked. “Look at this destruction: our homes, our farms. This is the price we paid”.

This article was co-authored with Egab.

Source: Aljazeera