Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Mass Rallies Celebrate Freed Palestinian Prisoners

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    Palestinians celebrate the release of prisoners in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. The Hamas militant group released an Israeli soldier Tuesday more than five years after his capture, turning him over to Egyptian mediators in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Tens of thousands of flag-waving Palestinians celebrated the homecoming Tuesday of hundreds of prisoners swapped for an Israeli soldier, as political leaders jockeyed for credit for the most significant prisoner release by Israel in nearly three decades.

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    In downtown Gaza City, Hamas organized a homecoming celebration that turned into a show of strength by the Islamic militant group, which seized control of Gaza from its rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, more than four years ago. Tens of thousands crammed into a sandy lot, where a huge stage was set up, decorated with a mural depicting Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit’s capture in a June 2006 at an army base near the Gaza border. Thousands hoisted green Hamas flags.

    A majority of the 477 prisoners freed Tuesday, in exchange for Schalit, had been serving life terms for killing Israelis, and their release violated a long-standing Israeli pledge not to free those with “blood on their hands.” Schalit was captured more than five years ago by Hamas-allied militants, and Gaza’s Hamas rulers negotiated the swap, with Egyptian mediation.

    More than 300 of the prisoners arrived in Gaza, the rest in the West Bank. Mass celebration rallies were under way in both of the Palestinian territories.

    One of the released Hamas leaders, Yehiye Sinwar, called on the group’s military wing to kidnap more Israeli soldiers in order to free the remaining prisoners in Israeli jails. Several thousand are still held by Israel on a range of security offenses.

    “We shall spare no efforts to liberate the rest of our brothers and sisters,” Sinwar told Hamas’ al-Aqsa TV. “We urge the Al Qassam Brigades (the Hamas military wing) to kidnap more soldiers to exchange them for the freedom of our loved ones who are still behind bars,” said Sinwar, one of the founders of the Hamas military wing. He had had been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers.

    Many in the crowd were overcome with joy.

    Azhar Abu Jawad, 30, celebrated the return of a brother who had been sentenced to life for killing an Israeli in 1992. She said she last saw him eight years ago, before Israel banned visits by Gazans.

    “My happiness is indescribable,” she said. “We’ll get him a bride and everything. I just spoke to him. He’s so happy. This is a reminder, God doesn’t forget anyone.”

    In Ramallah, Abbas addressed a crowd of thousands, included released prisoners and their relatives. In an attempt at unity, he shared a stage with three Hamas leaders in the West Bank. At one point, the four men even raised clasped hands in a show of victory.

    Still, Abbas is likely to suffer politically as a result of the swap. Over years of negotiating with Israel, he has only been able to bring about the release of those who had little time left on their sentences. Tuesday’s swap, with many “lifers” among the released prisoners, is the most significant since Israel released hundreds of Palestinians in 1985.
    Released Palestinian prisoners celebrate as they arrive at the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Tens of thousands of flag-waving Palestinians on Tuesday celebrated the homecoming of hundreds of prisoners from Israel with mass rallies in the West Bank and Gaza, as political leaders jockeyed for credit for the most significant prisoner release by Israel in nearly three decades. (AP Photo/Eyad Baba)
    In his speech, Abbas praised the released prisoners as “freedom fighters” and suggested that his method of negotiations was also bearing fruit.

    “I am revealing to you … that there is an agreement between us and the Israeli government on another batch (of releases) similar to this batch after it finishes,” Abbas said.

    His comments marked the first time he referred to an additional prisoner release, and there was no immediate Israeli comment.

    Earlier Tuesday, hundreds of relatives of prisoners had waited at a West Bank checkpoint for a first glimpse at their loved ones. However, the buses carrying the prisoners were instead driven directly to Abbas’ headquarters in the West Bank.

    Clashes erupted between about 200 young Palestinians at the checkpoint and Israeli soldiers several hundred yards (meters) away, after the families were told they had waited in the wrong place. Israeli troops fired tear gas and Palestinians threw stones for about half an hour. Some of the young men climbed atop a separation fence near the checkpoint and draped it with flags of Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah movement.


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    16 Comments
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    MosheM
    MosheM
    12 years ago

    Netanyahu is a coward.
    This while I’m very happy for Gilad personally.

    alter
    alter
    12 years ago

    Talk about “blood on their hands” I am geting sick thinking of that monster with bloody hands of someone who was lynched just cause he made a wrong turn, and will now walk free thanks to netanyahu.

    12 years ago

    Today we will see jubilant palestinians dancing and celebrating with these murderers. The best PR Israel can do is to take these pictures and place them next to the pictures of the carnage they caused. The entire world should see how Hamas / Palestinians celebrate with these savages. The world should especially see the picture of the murderer showing everyone his bloody hands of the soldier he killed and a picture how is welcomed back

    ALLAN
    ALLAN
    12 years ago

    “We’ll get him a bride and everything”. Lucky girl..what a catch he is. I guess in their mixed up upside down world he is considered a hero…..insane people. If not for Israel to hate they would be killing off each other.

    12 years ago

    How long before the next IDF soldier is taken captive? I suspect within a month, we will be reading about the next Shalit. There are simply too many opportunities for a car of palestinian terrorists to pull up along the road to a soldier hitching a ride back to his unit motzei shabbos or simply while on leave wearing his uniform. The insanity of this decision by Netanyahu and the government will be brought home very quickly and with devestating consequences.

    shredready
    shredready
    12 years ago

    to the Palestinians they are released Palestinians by a foreign identity

    sounds familiar

    12 years ago

    What a difference withing the cadaveric malnurished Galit and these fat murderers!

    12 years ago

    netanyahu threw israel under the bus

    KVETCH
    KVETCH
    12 years ago

    why bother with a bride.we should kill him & get 72 brides

    maxedout
    maxedout
    12 years ago

    To all those attacking Netanyahu; Just imagine for one moment that it was YOUR son. Although none of us are thrilled with the cost, Gilad is still one of us, and now his family can celebrate a simchas torah that they will never forget. If it was YOUR son, im sure any one of you would trade any amount of these animals for your son’s freedom. Anyone that says no is a liar. May you all have a gmar chasima tova and git kvittel.

    SherryTheNoahide
    SherryTheNoahide
    12 years ago

    You know… I was going to continue to call these barbarians, “animals”, but quite frankly… I think it’s a huge slam AGAINST animals to compare these monsters to them!

    I’m a huge animal lover, and I’m pretty sure my family pets wouldn’t even act this cruel. In fact… I KNOW they wouldn’t!

    From now on, I’m not calling them “animals” anymore. I would hate to disrespect them that way. I’ll call these people “monsters” instead.

    That seems more fitting.

    LoveHashem
    LoveHashem
    12 years ago

    You’re right. Animals are loving and fiercely protect their offspring. TheSe barbarians send their offspring out to kill and celebrate their deaths as “martyrs.” No, they don’t come close to animals.