Family celebrates return of freed Palestinian prisoner Marah Bakeer | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Jerusalem – With tears of pleasure rolling down her cheeks, and a glance of utter disbelief, Sawsan Bakeer ran down a flight of steps to greet her 24-year-old daughter, Marah, who had simply been launched after eight years in an Israeli jail.

Marah Bakeer is certainly one of 39 Palestinian girls and youngsters launched from Israeli prisons on Friday in change for 13 Hamas captives beneath a Qatar-mediated deal that features a four-day truce in Gaza.

“I instructed you Marah is gorgeous,” Sawsan instructed journalists, as she hugged her daughter and showered her with limitless kisses. “Not as a result of she’s my daughter, actually, however Marah is gorgeous, and you bought to see for your self.”

Earlier than her imprisonment, Bakeer was a 16-year-old highschool pupil at al-Maimouna Faculty in occupied East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

Every single day, she would make her means from the household house in Beit Hanina to highschool, crossing an expressway that runs between East and West Jerusalem.

Whereas on her means house on October 12, 2015, Israeli forces shot and arrested her for allegedly trying to stab an Israeli officer. Bakeer and her household deny the accusations.

When she was arrested, Bakeer was mendacity on the pavement with 12 gunshot wounds to her arm and hand which have left her with everlasting injury. She was sentenced to eight years and 6 months in jail.

A toddler when imprisoned, Bakeer was as a result of full her sentence and return house in 4 months’ time.

‘I wanted my mom’s love’

Newly freed, Bakeer instructed Al Jazeera that her time in jail was exhausting, however that she had endured it together with her religion in God and the help of her household and fellow Palestinian prisoners.

“There have been many tough instances in jail, however similar to anybody else going by way of life, they handed.

“Jail was particularly tough as a result of I used to be younger [when I was jailed] and I wanted my mom’s love and my household’s help.

“Though there have been many fellow prisoners who took care of me and helped me, nothing can change a mom’s love,” she stated as Sawsan held onto her.

About 8,000 Palestinians stay in Israeli jails, together with 3,000 who’ve been detained over the previous seven weeks amid an rising variety of armed Israeli raids throughout the West Financial institution.

Over the following 4 days, 150 Palestinian prisoners and 50 Israeli hostages are to be freed.

Solitary confinement earlier than launch

Over time of her imprisonment, Bakeer has develop into one thing of a political determine, representing all feminine prisoners earlier than the administration at Damon jail in northern Israel, the place feminine Palestinian prisoners and minors are detained.

Following the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel moved Bakeer, together with different jail leaders, to a different jail, in Jalame, and positioned her in solitary confinement.

For greater than six weeks, she was not permitted to speak together with her fellow inmates nor obtain any data from the surface world.

“It was a really tough time as a result of they stored me away from the remaining, and it was in the course of the conflict. I didn’t know what was taking place to them and that actually affected me,” she instructed Al Jazeera.

“What was even tougher, was that I didn’t know something about my household. However I knew God would shield them,” she added.

Bakeer was taken out of her cell on Wednesday however says she was not instructed what was taking place.

“Once I didn’t return to my cell, I knew there was a deal being negotiated, however I had no concept what the main points have been,” she defined.

She was solely knowledgeable on Friday morning that she was going to be leaving jail.

No celebrations, Israel orders households

Forward of Bakeer’s launch, her household stated they didn’t have any details about when she could be coming house till Israeli forces stormed their house and requested all family and company to depart. They warned towards any present of pleasure or celebration upon Bakeer’s arrival, the household stated.

Bakeer’s father, Jawdat, was taken for questioning at a police station in Jerusalem and warned towards the household exhibiting any indicators of pleasure about Marah’s launch.

“Marah got here house to us at the moment. We’ve simply acquired her however they [Israeli forces] threatened to storm the home and arrest me if we have a good time,” he instructed Al Jazeera.

Israeli forces additionally blocked all entry to the neighbourhood the place Bakeer’s household house is situated. They’ve stationed troopers in entrance of the home, guaranteeing no teams can collect.

Qadura Fares, who heads the Palestinian Prisoners’ Membership NGO, stated 33 prisoners have been freed within the West Financial institution and handed over to a crew from the Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross, whereas six others have been launched in Jerusalem.

The NGO stated in an announcement that the Israeli authorities set a number of circumstances forbidding the launched prisoners and their households from talking to the press, receiving company at house or distributing sweets in celebration. Those that don’t abide by the principles might be fined about 70,000 shekels ($18,740), the NGO added.

Though Bakeer is completely satisfied to be house, she instructed Al Jazeera that her happiness was incomplete with the persevering with bloodshed in Gaza.

“I’m very completely satisfied after all, however I really feel devastated by how that deal was reached … at the price of our brothers’ and sisters’ lives in Gaza.”

Greater than 14,800 individuals have been killed within the Israeli bombardment of Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the official loss of life toll from Hamas’s assaults stands at about 1,200.