Palestin is waiting to hug his father for the first time

After a few hours delay, there were cheerful scenes here in Ramala, where about 60 Palestinian prisoners were released from the detaining of Israeli in the arms of their joyful loved ones.

Among the liberated and tasting freedom for the first time in 22 years was 47-year-old Hussein Nasar, who was arrested in 2003 for participation in the Second Palestinian Intifada or Uprising.

There they met with him the daughters, the 22 years of Hedai and Raghad, who are 21 years old. Both were dressed in the striking traditional red and black dresses from Nablus, their hometown.

The younger daughter told me earlier that it was impossible to describe to live so long without her father.

“This is the first time I touch him. I’ll hug him. I can’t express my feelings.”

Almost shaken by the excitement of meeting her father, she said: “The Israelis arrested him when my mother was pregnant with me. I feel like this is the first time I will find out what it is like to have a father! “

Among the 110 Palestinian prisoners, released at this stage of what is still a fragile ceasefire, were several women and children -the smallest of them at the age of 15.

Some of them were accused of relatively minor crimes, others were not convicted or officially charged.

But 21 prisoners, convicted of the most serious crimes, including the murder, were not allowed by Israel to return home to the Palestinian territories and were imprisoned in Egypt or neighboring countries.

A senior figure who was not sent to exile, even though she was convicted of his involvement in the death of several Israelis, was Zabeya Zubeidi.

The former Commander of the Martyrs’ Brigades in Al-Aksa was one of several detainees, carried at a height of cheerful supporters on the streets near Ramala’s civil center.

It was a scene similar to the earlier Hamas show in Gaza, which will annoy many Israelis and will undoubtedly lead to updated calls from some right-wing politicians about the Hamas war in Gaza to resume after this initial six-week phase of termination of The fire is over.

For the governor of Ramala and El Beer, Dr. Leila Abu Ganam, this return for so many former prisoners was the occasion to celebrate.

But it had mixed emotions, as Israeli military operations intensified in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, and the cessation of the gas fire is still under pressure.

“All Palestinians are happy with the release of prisoners, but we are sad for what is happening in the provinces at that moment. Mothers today, despite how happy they are for the release of their children, are also sad for those mothers who who who who who who who wholes have lost their homes and children.

Today it was one of very few days while covering this insoluble conflict that I have seen so many happy faces among Palestinians and Israelis.

It was a terrible, destructive war that had broken so many lives.

Governor Ganam has accused the Israeli government of not being interested in peace. “But we don’t lose hope,” she said, smiling. “If we had lost hope, the Palestinians would have ended 75 years ago.”

The next batch of prison releases in exchange for Israeli hostages should happen on Saturday.