Israeli army raids homes of Palestinian detainees' families ahead of their release
Israel is expected to release 183 Palestinian detainees on Saturday
The Israeli army launched a series of raids across the occupied West Bank early Saturday targeting the homes of Palestinian detainees set to be released as part of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces stormed multiple homes, ransacked belongings, and issued warnings to families against celebrating their loved ones' release.
One of the targeted homes was that of senior Hamas leader Jamal Al-Tawil in Al-Bireh, where Israeli soldiers threatened his family with arrest if they held any celebrations.
His daughter, journalist Bushra Al-Tawil, confirmed to Anadolu that Israeli troops explicitly warned them of repercussions should they welcome their father with any form of public rejoicing.
Similar raids took place in the town of Kobar, north of Ramallah, where Israeli forces stormed the home of Shadi Fakhri Al-Barghouti, a Palestinian prisoner who has been jailed since 2004 and sentenced to 27 years behind bars.
Israeli troops also targeted the families of detainees Raafat Hamed and Atef Al-Salihin in Silwad, east of Ramallah, issuing the same threats.
As part of the fifth phase of the prisoner exchange, Israel is expected to release 183 Palestinian detainees on Saturday. This group includes 18 prisoners sentenced to life, 54 with lengthy sentences, and 111 detainees from Gaza, who were abducted in the aftermath of Israel's genocidal war on the besieged enclave on Oct. 7, 2023.
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Meanwhile, Hamas' armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that three Israeli captives would be released on Saturday as part of the deal.
A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel's genocidal war, which has killed more than 47,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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