
© Omar Ashtawy/APA ImagesPalestinians released by Israel under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement arrive at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis for medical check-ups • October 13, 2025
Palestinians gathered in the West Bank to reunite with loved ones set to be released as part of the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. But many were devastated to learn that
Israel had deported them instead.Palestinians in Gaza lived another day without bombs dropping over their heads as the first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continued into Monday, which saw
the release of Israeli captives from Gaza and the release of 1,718 out of 10,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.At around 8:00 a.m. local time,
Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, handed the first group of seven Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, without any ceremonies or media exposure. The second group of 13 Israeli captives came an hour later.
Meanwhile, the Israeli prison services moved hundreds of Palestinians out of its detention centers.In the decimated city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza,
thousands of Palestinians gathered to receive the hundreds of Palestinians released from Israeli prison, including 25 West Bank Palestinians whom the Israeli internal intelligence service, the Shabak (Shin Bet), recommended to be deported to Gaza.
A total of 1,718 Palestinians were released into the Gaza Strip, all of whom were abducted by Israeli forces from within Gaza during the past two years. In addition,
Israel released 250 Palestinians who had been serving high or life sentences in Israeli prisons, 88 of whom were released in the West Bank, while the rest were deported to Gaza and Egypt.
Comment: Finally. When one moves to another country, one is a guest, and even becoming a citizen of that country is at the sufferance of that country's government. It is not for the newly-arrived guest to dictate the house rules.