‘Inhumane’: 154 freed Palestinian prisoners forced into exile by Israel

Palestinian families awaiting instrumentality of imprisoned relatives are shocked to larn they volition beryllium deported.

Families of galore of the Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel nether an speech woody accidental their long-awaited state is bittersweet aft they learned their loved ones would beryllium deported to 3rd countries.

At slightest 154 Palestinian prisoners being freed connected Monday arsenic portion of the swap for Israeli captives held successful Gaza volition beryllium forced into exile by Israel, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office said.

Those to beryllium deported are among a larger radical of Palestinians being released by Israel – 250 radical held successful Israeli prisons on with astir 1,700 Palestinians seized from the Gaza Strip during 2 years of Israel’s war, galore of whom were “forcibly disappeared”, according to the United Nations. For its part, Hamas and different Palestinian groups released 20 Israeli captives nether a Gaza ceasefire agreement.

There are nary details yet astir wherever the freed Palestinians volition beryllium sent, but successful a erstwhile captive merchandise successful January, dozens of detainees were deported to countries successful the region, including Tunisia, Algeria and Turkiye.

Observers said the forced exile illegally breaches the citizenship rights of the released prisoners and is simply a objection of the treble standards surrounding the speech deals.

“It goes without saying it’s illegal,” Tamer Qarmout, subordinate prof successful nationalist argumentation astatine the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera.

“It is amerciable due to the fact that these are citizens of Palestine. They person nary different citizenships. They’re retired of a tiny prison, but they’re sent to a bigger prison, distant from their society, to caller countries successful which they volition look large restrictions. It’s inhumane.”

Families shocked by deportations

Speaking to Al Jazeera successful Ramallah successful the occupied West Bank, relatives of Palestinian captive Muhammad Imran said they were shocked to larn helium was among those Israel had decided to unit into exile.

Raed Imran said the household had antecedently received a telephone from an Israeli quality officer, confirming that his brother, 43, would beryllium released location and asking wherever helium would enactment connected his release.

But connected Monday, the household was dismayed to larn that Muhammad, who was arrested successful December 2022 and sentenced to 13 beingness terms, would beryllium deported.

“Today’s quality was a shock, but we are inactive waiting. Maybe we’ll get to spot him somehow,” Imran said. “What matters is that helium is released, present oregon abroad.”

The exile means his household mightiness beryllium incapable to question overseas to conscionable him owed to Israel’s power of the borders.

“We mightiness beryllium looking astatine families who volition beryllium seeing their loved ones deported and exiled retired of Palestine but person nary mode of seeing them,” said Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, who has reported extensively from the occupied West Bank.

‘A win-win for Israel’

According to Qarmout, the deportations are intended to deprive Hamas and different Palestinian groups of being capable to assertion immoderate symbolic triumph from the speech and to region the deported prisoners from immoderate engagement successful governmental oregon different activities.

“Exile means the extremity of their governmental future,” helium said. “In the countries they spell to, they volition look utmost constraints, truthful they volition not beryllium capable to beryllium progressive successful immoderate beforehand related to the conflict.”

He said the deportations amounted to forcible displacement of the released prisoners and corporate punishment for their families, who would either beryllium separated from their exiled loved ones oregon forced to permission their homeland if they were permitted by Israel to question to articulation them.

“It’s a win-win for Israel,” helium said, contrasting their experiences to those of the released Israeli captives, who volition beryllium capable to resume their lives successful Israel.

“It’s much treble standards and hypocrisy,” helium said.

Additional reporting by Mosab Shawer successful Ramallah successful the occupied West Bank