Twenty-six Palestinian prisoners from Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank were released early Tuesday morning in the third stage of a prisoner release deal secured by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to facilitate peace talks. A total of 104 Palestinian prisoners, all jailed before the start of the Oslo peace talks 20 years ago, are slated to be released during the course of the talks, which are scheduled to continue through mid-2014.
By: Oren Ziv, Yotam Ronen, Tali Mayer, Ahmad Al-Bazz / Activestills.org
The home of Ibrahim Taqtoq undergoes preparations for his arrival after more than 24 years in Israeli prison. He was released after midnight, Nablus, West Bank, December 30, 2013. (Activestills.org)
Friends and family members of the 26 Palestinian prisoners wait for their release in the early hours of December 31, 2013 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Activestills.org)
Friends and family members of the 26 Palestinian prisoners wait for their release in the early hours of December 31, 2013 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Activestills.org)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses released Palestinian prisoners at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on December 31, 2013. (Activestills.org)
Friends and family members of the 26 Palestinian prisoners wait for their release in the early morning hours of December 31, 2013 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Activestills.org)
Friends and family members of the 26 Palestinian prisoners wait for their release in the early hours of December 31, 2013 in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Activestills.org)
Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted as they arrive at the Muqata presidential compound in the early morning hours of December 31, 2013 in Ramallah, West Bank. (Activestills.org)
Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted as they arrive at the Muqata presidential compound in the early hours on December 31, 2013 in Ramallah, West Bank. (Activestills.org)
Family and friends of the Dahadgni family celebrate the release of Abu Naser Dahadgni in Shuafat refugee camp, East Jerusalem, December 31, 2013. (Activestills.org)
Family and friends of the Dahadgni family celebrate the release of Abu Naser Dahadgni in Shuafat refugee camp, East Jerusalem , December 31, 2013. (Activestills.org)
Freed Palestinian prisoners are greeted as they arrive at the Muqata presidential compound in the early hours of December 31, 2013 in Ramallah, West Bank. (Activestills.org)
Ibrahim Taqtoq is carried as he arrives to his city after he spent more than 24 years jailed in an Israeli prison, Nablus, West bank, December 30, 2013. (Activestills.org)
Related:
The real problem with the prisoner release
PHOTOS: Right-wing Israelis protest Palestinian prisoner release
PHOTOS: Palestinians celebrate prisoner release in West Bank
Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war – the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel and the massive retaliatory Israeli attacks on Gaza. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing violence.
We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed unleashed by these events has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Hamas’ murderous assault in southern Israel has devastated and shocked the country to its core. Israel’s retaliatory bombing of Gaza is wreaking destruction on the already besieged strip and killing a ballooning number of civilians. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to escalate their attacks on Palestinians.
This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 13 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, the entrenched occupation, and an increasingly normalized siege on Gaza.
We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives.
Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is the leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists and activists can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.