Palestinian Woman's Release from Israeli Jail Thwarted Despite Ceasefire Agreement

The family of Zina Barber, a 24-year-old Palestinian woman held in an Israeli jail for over a year, were preparing for her release as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal. However, their hopes were dashed when Israeli police raided their house, seizing Palestinian flags and symbols.

Despite warnings, hundreds in the West Bank celebrated the prisoners' return. Families waited in the cold to embrace their loved ones.

Osama Shadeh prepared to welcome his daughter Aseel, arrested last year for protesting the killing of Palestinian children in Gaza. "They shot her in the foot and accused her of trying to stab soldiers," he said. "Now they admit she did nothing wrong."

The second phase of the ceasefire deal will see the remaining hostages returned and a corresponding ratio of Palestinian prisoners freed. Israel will also completely withdraw from the territory. The specifics of this phase are subject to further negotiations.

The third phase will address the exchange of bodies and a reconstruction plan for Gaza will be launched. Arrangements for future governance of the strip remain unclear.

About 100 of the Palestinian prisoners slated for release are serving life sentences for violent attacks on Israelis. Others were jailed for lesser offenses, including social media posts, or held in administrative detention.

Palestinians have long alleged that imprisonment is a key element of Israel's 57-year-old occupation. Various estimates suggest that up to 40% of Palestinian men have been arrested at least once in their lives.

The release of Palestinian prisoners was at the center of a long stalemate during negotiations between Hamas and Israel. These negotiations stalled in July 2024 before being revived ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. Trump had threatened to unleash "hell" on Hamas if the hostages were not released before he began his second term.

During the negotiations, Palestinian officials said that Israel continued to block the release of 10 specific prisoners, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat. To avert a potential impasse, it was agreed to defer discussions on the release of these well-known political and military figures until the second phase of the deal.