""It was an indescribable journey of suffering hunger, unfair treatment, oppression, torture and curses more than anything you could imagine," said Kamal Abu Shanab, a 51-year-old Fatah member from the West Bank town of Tulkarem. His face was gaunt. He said he lost 139 pounds (59 kilograms) in prison. "We don't recognize him. He's not the person we knew. Our uncle doesn't look like our uncle," said his niece, Farah Abu Shanab."
""Those freed include around 1,700 of the several thousand Palestinians that Israeli troops seized from Gaza during the 2-year war and have held without charge. Also among those released were 250 Palestinians sentenced to prison terms, most of them convicted for deadly attacks on Israelis dating back decades as well as others convicted on lesser charges, according to Israel's Justice Ministry.""
Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were released and exchanged for Israeli hostages as part of a Gaza ceasefire. Large crowds greeted freed prisoners in Beitunia in the West Bank and Khan Younis in Gaza, showing victory signs and giving keffiyeh scarves. Around 1,700 had been seized from Gaza during the two-year war and held without charge. Another 250 were serving sentences, many for deadly attacks on Israelis; Israel exiled 154 of the sentenced prisoners to Egypt for onward transfer. Several returnees showed severe physical decline after imprisonment. The releases carry strong emotional resonance and political consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis.
Read at www.npr.org
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