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Rabat – Dull eyes, tiredness, and exhaustion – that’s how Palestinians released from Israeli jails as part of the truce appeared in live footage documenting their reunion with their families.
The latest evidence of how Palestinians are mistreated in Israeli prisons are pictures taken following the release of prominent activist Ahed Tamimi, who was among the 30 prisoners freed by Israel early on Thursday as part of the Qatar-negotiated temporary Gaza truce.
Gaza war exposes Israeli oppression, propaganda
Pictures and videos documenting the release of Tamimi, who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of inciting violence, have gone viral online in the past hours.
The curly-haired young activist appeared with sleepy, dull, and reddish eyes, reflecting the suffering and oppression Palestinians suffer during their arrest in Israeli prisons.
The activist was seen struggling to smile as she was hugged and embraced by her family and friends.
On the other side was a girl wearing a maroon pajama-like outfit and flip flops. The teenage girl, who exited a truck owned by Hamas, was carrying a fluffy little living thing between her arms.
The girl is Mia, an Israeli hostage who was part of the 240 captives held by Hamas in Gaza.
The fluffy little thing, meanwhile, is Bella, Mia’s dog pet, who has accompanied the hostage since October 7.
Unlike Ahed Tamimi, Mia appears happy and comfortable following her release – which was captured by dozens of mobile cameras as Palestinians were celebrating her and Bella’s freedom on Tuesday.
The now-freed hostage is seen smiling to the cameras while carrying her fluffy, tiny bella pet, with some media describing the moment as “incredible.”
Similar videos of Israeli hostages escorted by Hamas to the Red Crescent following their release went viral, with many either high-fiving Hamas members or sharing genuine smiles with members from the resistance movement.
One of the latest videos shows a group of Israelis as they are sharing laughter and warm handshaking with Hamas members.
Doubting the Israeli claims
The videos triggered questions, casting doubt on Israel’s narrative accusing Hamas of terrorism and mistreatment against Israeli hostages.
Israeli hostage saying goodbye and sharing a conversation with Hamas members.
“The latest film to emerge of Hamas releasing Israeli hostages. Unsure about you; but the farewell doesn’t show people who were living under duress and in hostile conditions to me. Remember Israel has thrown children in jail as 5, for throwing stones,” a commenter wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Another one shared pictures of the smiling and happy hostages, while handshaking with Hamas members, saying: “the reason why Israel prohibits hostages from talking to the media.”
Meanwhile, there have been testimonies reflecting the suffering of Palestinian prisoners, who reunited with their families after years of detention, oppression, and torture.
The testimonies are a blend of joy and partial freedom due to ongoing aggression in Gaza and occupied Palestinian territories.
One of the heartbreaking testimonies is of the now-released female Palestinian woman Israa Jaabis, who was among the freed prisoners under the Hamas-Israel truce.
While she is certainly happy to meet her family members, Jaabis appears to be traumatized.
Jaabis, who suffered severe burns, was charged with attempted murder after her car exploded near an Israeli checkpoint in 2015.
Speaking to the media following her release, Jaabis said: “My wounds are visible and my struggles, I don’t need to talk about.”
She also expressed concerns about other Palestinians who were imprisoned, including young girls.
“They’ve been subjected to a lot of things… I’m talking about the small girls. They’ve been through things that nobody should witness,” she said.
Appreciation letters to Hamas
The testimony represents a stark contrast to those shared by Israeli hostages, who were not afraid to express immense gratitude for their good treatment by Hamas in Gaza.
Danielle Aloni is one of the Israeli hostages who have debunked the Israeli narrative about Hamas, especially the claim that the Palestinian group had raped Israeli women and beheaded babies on October 7.
Instead, Aloni – who was held by Hamas along with her 5-year-old daughter– wrote a letter to Hamas to thank them for their “extraordinary humanity shown towards” her daughter, Emilia.
“She (Emilia) acknowledges feeling like all of you are her friends, not just friends, but truly beloved and good,” the mother said, describing Hamas members as “caregivers.”
She said that her daughter felt like a “queen.”
“I wish in this world we could truly be good friends,” she concluded.
Read also: Gaza: Biden’s Blind Support for Israel Deepens Erosion of US Global Standing
Israeli occupation forces have been also preventing Palestinians from celebrating a taste of joy following the release of their beloved ones.
The ban on celebrations comes amid a devastating situation in which more than 1.2 million people have been subjected to torture amid the relentless and murderous campaign in Gaza – often referred to as an “open-air prison.”
Israeli news outlet The Times of Israel on November 24 acknowledged that Israeli occupation forces surrounded the area outside the East Jerusalem home of one of the 39 Palestinian prisoners.
The news outlet added that the IDF and police surrounded the homes of some of Palestinian prisoners to avoid a “victory” picture on the Palestinian side.
Police also ordered media correspondents, including Al Jazeera to not film the gathering of people awaiting the release of their family members as Israel sought to prevent public celebrations.
With all of that being said, Israel continues to claim that its aggression and genocidal crime are in respect of international law.
“Israel is working according to international law. We give humanitarian aid, water, food and medicine. We never targeted people,” Israel’ foreign minister Eli Cohen claimed last week amid reports, showcasing the devastating situation due to Israel’s blockade on Gaza ahead of the brokered truce.
