Israel: Israeli prisoners are a powerful weapon in the hands of the Palestinians

The Israeli army confirmed the presence of captured soldiers and civilians in the Gaza Strip, after the bloody confrontations that left 500 dead and thousands wounded.

Earlier, the Israeli army spokesman said: “There are soldiers and civilians who have been kidnapped (and are being held in the Gaza Strip), and I cannot provide any information about that at the present time.” “This is a war crime committed by Hamas and it will pay the price.”

About a quarter of Palestinian prisoners are being held without charge as Israel adopts the controversial practice of “administrative detention.”

Palestinian prisoners

The fate of Palestinian prisoners held by the Israeli state is a hot-button issue because Israel has had a far-right government in its history.

Last year, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sought to suppress the rights of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

With laws restricting family visits and even transferring dozens of Palestinians to Nafha prison, which is considered one of the “hardest prisons” in the country, Ben Gvir adopted a policy that leads to the suffocation of Palestinian prisoners.

There are about 5,200 political prisoners in Israeli prisons, including more than 1,264 administrative detainees, according to the Palestinian Addameer organization.

Because of Israel’s discriminatory judicial system, the conviction rate for Palestinians tried before military courts is 99.7%, while Israelis are rarely convicted of committing attacks against Palestinians.

About a quarter of Palestinian prisoners are detained without charge, as Israel has adopted the controversial practice of “administrative detention.”

“Prisoner exchange”

Muhammad Deif, leader of the Hamas military organisation, said the latest attack was partly due to Israel’s recent refusal to participate in talks to agree on a “prisoner exchange”.

“Hundreds of our prisoners have spent more than twenty years in the darkness of prison cells. Dozens of our brothers and sisters in prison, suffering from cancer and other diseases, have died as a result of medical negligence and premeditated murder,” Dave said.

There are four Israeli prisoners held in Gaza since 2014 and are believed to have died

In the past, Israeli prisoners have been important to the Palestinians in facilitating the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons as part of prisoner exchange agreements.

“Salit Agreement” and “Jibril Agreement”

One of the most high-profile prisoner exchange cases is that of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas in a cross-border raid near Gaza in 2006. He was held for more than five years before being released in a prisoner exchange in 2011.

This exchange, commonly referred to as the “Salit Agreement”, led to Shalit’s release in exchange for the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

The “Salit Agreement” emphasized the great importance of prisoner exchange agreements, a fact that Hamas is likely to “exploit.”

There are four Israeli prisoners held in Gaza since 2014 and are believed to have died.

The two are soldiers who were captured in the summer of 2014, while the other two are civilians who entered Gaza under unclear circumstances.

Prisoner exchanges have also taken place between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, several times over the past four decades. In 1985, the Jibril Accords, named after Ahmed Jibril, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, resulted in Israel releasing more than 1,150 Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners, including Hezbollah fighters.

The exchange with the Israeli side was the release of three Israeli soldiers – Youssef Grof, Nissim Salem, and Hezi Shai – who were captured during Israel’s war in Lebanon in 1982.

In 2004, another prisoner exchange took place between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israeli businessman Ilhanan Tannenbaum was kidnapped by Hezbollah in 2000 during a trip to Dubai and held in Lebanon. In 2004, he was released in exchange for the release of a number of Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.

In 2008, Israel and Hezbollah conducted another major exchange in which Israel handed over the remains of 199 Lebanese and Palestinian fighters in exchange for the remains of two Israeli soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser.

*With information from: middleeasteye.net | Main story image: Reuters