"Ibtisam and her brother Raed Imran had come to Ramallah two days ago, after they got a call from Muhammad from the Israeli prison where he was held, telling them that he would be among the prisoners to be released to the West Bank. But when they arrived at the cultural centre on Monday, they were told that Muhammad was on the list, yes, but that he was among the more than 100 prisoners whom Israel had decided to exile from Palestine."
"The morning dawned full of anticipation as thousands of Palestinian families prepared to welcome their imprisoned relatives, who were scheduled to be released as part of a prisoner exchange deal with Israel. Some had spent decades in prison, some were serving consecutive life sentences, and most had been rounded up wholesale by Israel in Gaza during its two-year war on the besieged enclave."
Thousands of Palestinian families gathered in Ramallah to welcome relatives scheduled for release under a prisoner exchange with Israel. Many prisoners had served decades or multiple life sentences, with most detained in Gaza during a two-year war. Emotions at the Ramallah Cultural Centre ranged from joy to bitter grief when families learned some relatives would be exiled rather than returned to Palestine. Israel plans to exile 154 of the 250 prisoners it is releasing, which will impose severe movement and activity constraints and create travel difficulties because the men hold only Palestinian citizenship. Families face separation and uncertainty.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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