Palestinian detainees exiled to Gaza face uncertain future

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Palestinians exiled to Gaza after their release from Israeli prisons say they are uncertain about what the future holds as no clear plans have been outlined for them.

Originally from the occupied West Bank, they had been serving long jail sentences before being freed in the hostage-prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Three of the exiled former detainees told The National of their relief after spending between 19 and 24 years in prison under harsh conditions, particularly after the Gaza war began in October 2023, and also of their gratitude for the welcome they received from Gazans who had suffered 15 months of Israel's devastating military offensive.

"We endured unbearable treatment," said Sami Jaradat. "The Israeli jailers humiliated us, beat us constantly and deprived us of food. Before October 7 [2023], I weighed 87kg – now, I am only 60kg. Until the very last moment, our situation was extremely dangerous."

Mr Jaradat, 57, is one of about 20 Palestinians from the West Bank who were sent to Gaza after their release. He was sentenced to 20 life terms with an additional 50 years, of which he served about 21 years. Charges included assisting the suicide bomber Hanadi Jaradat, who killed 21 people and injured dozens when she detonated explosives in a restaurant in Haifa, Israel, in 2003.

Originally from Jenin, he is living in the European Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, after being released on January 30 in the third round of prisoner-hostage swaps. While most of the hundreds of detainees released so far have been allowed to return to their homes in the West Bank or Gaza, scores of others have been sent into exile abroad through Egypt.

"To this moment, we have no clarity about our future," Mr Jaradat told The National. "We were released from Israeli prisons with the understanding that we would be sent to Egypt, only to find ourselves in Gaza instead. We have no plans. We don’t know if we will stay here or leave."

For now, he is happy that he can communicate freely with his family – three sons, four daughters and 21 grandchildren. “They are happy but at the same time they feel sad that I am not with them," he said. "As long as I remain here, it will be difficult for us to reunite."

Mohammed A’modi, 45, also from Jenin, spent 19 years in prison after being arrested in 2006 and charged with being an accomplice to an attack in Tel Aviv.

He said he had always held on to the hope of one day being freed, after Israel released more than 1,000 Palestinian detainees in 2011 in exchange for the soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas.

"Now, I feel good," he said. "When I arrived in Gaza, I was deeply grateful to be here. I still can’t believe that I am free, walking among people normally – it feels like a dream."

Like Mr Jaradat, Mr A’modi is unsure what the future holds. "We don’t know what the next plan is,” he said. "We were told that we might be able to leave Gaza but we have no idea where we would go.

"My family is happy that I am here in Gaza, among my second family. The people here, despite their pain and immense losses, have welcomed us with warmth and kindness.”

Mr Jaradat said he was astonished to see first-hand the plight of his fellow Palestinians in Gaza.

"The people here have made tremendous sacrifices. While in prison, we heard that displaced families were living in tents but when we saw them with our own eyes, we realised these are not proper tents – just sheets of plastic and fabric. They are enduring unimaginable hardships.

"I feel ashamed when I see their suffering, while I stay in a sheltered place. We arrived in Gaza with nothing, yet the people here have provided us with clothing and food. Their kindness is overwhelming."

Ismael Al Radaida, who is in his 40s and comes from Bethlehem, said he spent 24 years inside Israeli prisons after being arrested in 2001 and sentenced to life for “resisting the occupation”.

"We were shocked when we saw the extent of destruction [in Gaza] caused by the Israeli army," he told The National. "But this is nothing new – it is consistent with their actions. In reality, we can’t move around much here. We are under security protection because we are still at risk – you cannot trust the occupation."

Like the other exiles from the West Bank, he has been given accommodation at the European Hospital.

Asked about his future, he said: "I am thinking about continuing my education, as I was deprived of this right while in Israeli prison."

"No matter what I say, I cannot truly express how much Gaza and its people deserve. Through their sacrifices, they have given us freedom."

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