2023 Israeli–Palestinian Prisoner Exchange

During the Gaza war, a series of exchanges were made between Israel and Hamas to exchange militant-held hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The negotiations were brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, and were part of a broader temporary ceasefire agreement. In Israel the deal was called "Operation Heaven's Door" (), and the subprogram for the rehabilitation of foreign citizens was called "Operation "Friendly Hand" ().

Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners, 107 of whom were between 14 and 17 years old, and three-quarters of whom had not been convicted of a crime, although some were awaiting trial in a military court. In exchange, Hamas released 105 civilians, which included 81 children, women, and elderly women from Israel, 23 Thais and one Filipino.

Background

There is a history of captive exchanges in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the most notable being the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange in 2011."Hamas to gain politically from prisoner swap deal"
Xinhua News Agency, 20 October 2011.
Prior to the 2023 war, Israel held over 5,200 Palestinians as prisoners, including at least 170 children. About 1,310 Palestinians were held in Administrative detention, a practice that allows Israel to detain Palestinians indefinitely without charges or trial. By November 2023, the number of Palestinian prisoners had increased to 10,000. Following the deportation of several thousand detained Gazan workers, the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Prisoners' Affairs placed the number at approximately 8,300. Some have been convicted of terrorism by Israeli authorities; the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories describes many convictions as resulting from "a litany of violations of international law, including due process violations, that taint the legitimacy of the administration of justice by the occupying power." In total, since 1967, Israel has arrested one million Palestinians; 40% of Palestinian males have been imprisoned by Israel at some point in their life.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, which involved a rocket barrage and a few thousand militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking Israeli civilian communities and military bases. Hamas listed the freeing of Palestinians from Israeli prisons as one of the primary motivations for the 7 October attack in Israel. During the attack 1,195 Israelis were killed and 251 were taken captive, and Israel alleges dozens of Israelis were subjected to sexual violence. Israel responded by invading Gaza, tightening its blockade on the Gaza Strip and unleashing a destructive bombing campaign killing over 70,000 Palestinians, 59.1% of whom women, children and the elderly. It also reportedly committed sexual violence against Palestinians. During the war, the United Nations (UN) warned that Gazans faced the danger of famine, and both Hamas and Israel were accused of war crimes.

Negotiations (2023)

Hamas offered a deal dubbed as "everyone for everyone" or "all for all" — a release of all hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for Israel releasing thousands of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

On 13 November it was reported that Hamas had told Qatari mediators that the group was willing to release up to 70 women and children hostages held in Gaza for a five-day truce and the release of 275 women and children held by Israel.

On 22 November it was announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement about a cease fire and the release of 50 hostages, in response the Israeli government would release 150 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has acknowledged children would be the main component of the hostages released.

On 2 December, a few days after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed, Deputy Hamas chief Saleh Al-Arouri stated that no more prisoners/hostages would be exchanged with Israel until there was a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli release of prisoners (2023)

As part of the negotiated exchange, 150 Palestinian women and children were released from Israeli prisons over the course of days. By 28 November 2023, 180 prisoners had been released, chosen from a list of 300 held Palestinians. Notable prisoners released included Israa Jaabis and Ahed Tamimi. Israeli authorities fired tear gas at buses carrying the released prisoners. By the end of the temporary truce, Israel released 240 prisoners, of whom 107 were under 18 and three-quarters had not been convicted of a crime.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society stated more Palestinians had been arrested than released since the start of the ceasefire. ''Al Jazeera'' reported that for every Palestinian released, there is another Palestinian arrested. On 27 February 2024, a teenage boy released during the prisoner swap was rearrested by Israeli forces. On 21 March, another teenage boy released during the swap was re-arrested during a raid on his family home.

On 12 August 2024, 18 year old Tariq Daoud, who was released during the swap, carried out an attack, shooting and seriously wounding an Israeli man along with two Palestinians. He was shot dead by Israeli forces. On 15 August 2024, one of the prisoners released during the swap was killed in an Israeli drone strike, as he was attacking Israeli forces, during a counter-terrorism operation in the Balata refugee camp.

Status of prisoners

Many Palestinian prisoners are held in Israel under administrative detention, arrested for crimes such as speech and nonviolent protest. An estimated 2,000 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons without any charges against them, and those who are charged face a more than 99% conviction rate in Israeli military courts. Israeli authorities, however, have labeled all the released prisoners as "terrorists"; they had been detained for "offenses related to Israel's security", from throwing stones to supporting terrorism and attempted murder. Of the 300 prisoners initially proposed for release, 124 were under 18, and another 146 are 18, with many of those having turned 18 in prison. Of the 240 prisoners released 107 were aged between 14 and 17; 104 boys, of whom 5 were 14, and 3 girls, all 16 and 17. The remaining 133 were adults; 65 men, all aged 18 except one who turned 19 in prison, and 68 women of various ages.

On 24 January 2024, Israel re-arrested a teenager who had been released as part of the swap, which sparked outrage amongst Palestinian groups, including the Palestinian Prisoners' Society which called the boy's re-arrest a "blatant violation" of the terms of the swap agreement. According to Israel the seventeen year old had engaged in "terrorist activities" after his release.

Descriptions of prison conditions

The released prisoners described mistreatment and a lack of clean water and food in Israeli prisons. One released prisoner stated "We've been tortured." They stated that conditions in Israeli prisons had worsened for Palestinians since the start of the conflict on 7 October, with prison suppression units beating prisoners daily. A 17-year-old boy told child inmates' blankets and pillows, spare clothes, and window coverings had been removed. A released female prisoner stated Israel had deprived inmates of food, medicine, and sleep. Another said Israeli cells did not protect prisoners from the rain, adding she lost 14 kilos during her detention. One teenager described a prison doctor laughing when the boy asked for medicine for an arm injury. Another teenage boy described being stripped naked and kicked by a prison officer wearing steel-toe boots. Other released teenage prisoners reported being tear-gassed, beaten, pepper-sprayed and threatened with guns. Some, including the Palestinian writer and journalist Lama Khater, reported being threatened with rape and attacked by muzzled dogs. Prisoners report being denied bathing and forced to wear a single item of clothing for weeks on end, and skin diseases have accordingly spread as a result of the poor sanitary conditions.

Amnesty International described "torture and other ill-treatment" in Israeli prisons since 7 October, and at least six inmates were killed. An attorney at Addameer stated that since the 7 October attack, prisoners had been denied medical care, food and water, family visits, and lawyer visits. The mother of one released Palestinian teenager called on the Red Cross to investigate Israeli prison conditions. Testimony collected from released women by B'Tselem found they had faced extreme violence and even the threat of rape.

Several of the Palestinians released during the 2025 prisoner exchange bore signs of torture and starvation, according to the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, and some, upon arrival to their destination, had to be immediately transported to medical facilities for treatment due to their poor conditions. The mistreatment of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces included “starvation crimes, systematic medical crimes, and the infection of a number of them with scabies, in addition to the severe beatings that the prisoners were subjected to before their release,” said the society, which adds that Israeli abuse escalated after October 7, 2023, and that some prisoners suffered fractured ribs.

Some of the released Palestinians said that the abuse worsened after the January 2025 ceasefire agreement was announced, and that they continued to be subjected to beatings and other forms of violence up to the last minute before their release. Othman Abu Khurj reported being beaten alongside other released Palestinians by Israeli soldiers in the presence of the Red Cross. Others were tear-gassed as they were about to be released from their cells. An 18-year-old said that during his last week in detention, he was not allowed to shower. His body was covered in scabies, and Israeli officials refused to have them treated. Another 18-year-old said that Israeli guards "tortured us in the cell, every day. They also tortured and mistreated the women." Released prisoners were reportedly transported out with their hands over their heads with a band saying: “The people of eternity does not forget.”

Restrictions on speech and movement

The released Palestinian captives were warned by Israel in a statement from Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, not to celebrate their release or they would be returned to prison. The released prisoners were also barred from political activity, posting political content on social media, or going to any protests. One released teenager was told by Israeli officials that he was "not allowed to leave my house, raise any signs or banners" and that if any of the rules were broken he could be re-arrested and leading up to his release his families home had been searched several times. Israeli police fired tear gas on the families of prisoners and their supporters waiting outside Ofer Prison. East Jerusalem residents reported a "crackdown" prior to the prisoners' release. Israeli raids in Beitunia were reportedly conducted ahead of prisoner releases to prevent celebrations from taking place.

Hamas release of hostages (2023)

On 24 November 2023, the Israeli government confirmed that 13 Israeli hostages were released. Srettha Thavisin, the Prime Minister of Thailand, confirmed on social media that 12 Thai hostages were released from Gaza. Later in the day it was reported that of the 24 hostages initially released on 24 November, the number included 13 Israeli citizens (of whom some were dual citizens), 10 Thai citizens and one Filipino citizen by the Qatar foreign ministry. Reportedly a number of Thai citizens were released outside of the truce agreement. As of 30 November 2023, 105 civilians had been released, which included 81 people from Israel, 23 Thais and one Filipino.

Handling of hostages

After being released hostages were transported through the Rafah checkpoint to Egypt before being transported to Israel. They are then taken to the Hatzerim base for processing and vetting before being triaged and sent to about 5 different hospitals. Specialists from the Israeli Ministry of Social Welfare and psychologists, developed instructions on how soldiers should behave in different situations when communicating with returned child hostages. A responder should not touch them without the child's consent, and to not answer the questions "Where is my mother? When will I see dad?" but state things such as: "Baby, honey, I'm sorry, I don't know. My job is to bring you to Israel to a safe place where people you know will be waiting for you. They will answer all your questions." It was also suggested to use the child's name as much as possible when speaking to them. Dietary guidelines were also created for those released and regulations about not questioning released children and only allowing female doctors to care for them were issued.

Hostage conditions

The initial 24 hostages were all reported to be in "good condition"; later, it was reported that most were in good physical shape, but some had been ordered to remain in hospital. Female hostages testified that they were sexually assaulted and tortured by Hamas members who captured them. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, female hostages were held in cages.

Few of the released hostages have spoken of their experiences, but those who have recounted being kept in crowded spaces with little electricity and without mattresses. The hostages were fed in very sparse portions, with some being given a single piece of bread per day, or small amounts of chicken, rice, bread, canned hummus, cheese and tea. Some child hostages were reportedly forced to watch footage of the 7 October Hamas attacks. A 78-year-old released hostage told Channel 13, "We were OK."

An 85-year-old woman stated to ''Time Magazine'', "captives were treated well and received medical care, including medication. The guards kept conditions clean." The aunt of a released 12-year old hostage said that the child was beaten by Hamas fighters, adding that crying children were threatened with guns to be silent. According to a freed Thai hostage, the Israeli hostages held with him were abused by their captors, being beaten including with electrical cables. He added that they were all underfed, generally being given one pita a day, and were only allowed to shower once during the almost two months they were held; according to the Israeli Health Ministry, some of the released elderly women had lost between 8 and 15 kg during their time in captivity.

The uncle of two child-hostages described them being "branded" with the exhaust pipe of a motorbike, in order to make it easier to recapture them should they escape, as well as being drugged. One of the hostages, Elma Avraham, went without her medication for 50 days; upon her release she was transferred to hospital "in a serious and life-threatening condition", with a pulse of 40 and a body temperature of ; according to her daughter she was hours from death at the time she was released. During a reportedly contentious meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one released hostage stated the hostages were "terrified that it would not be Hamas, but Israel, that would kill us."

Holding locations

The hostages were held in a variety of locations; some were held in Hamas' tunnel network, while others were held in civilian residences, commandeered from or reportedly offered by the local population. One of the hostages described arriving in a house that had been abandoned so quickly by its residents that the washing machine was still running, while another described being held in an attic by an UNRWA teacher and a third claimed they were held by a Gazan doctor. UNRWA responded, calling the report unsubstantiated and demanding that it be deleted. According to ''The Jerusalem Post'', a Community Note on Twitter described the reported assembly of rockets in UNRWA schools and UNRWA teachers reportedly celebrating the massacres committed by Hamas on 7 October.

Negotiations (2024)

The negotiations lasted for many months, primarily focusing on the proposal put forward by U.S. President Joe Biden, which includes three phases in which hostages would be released and a ceasefire would be implemented.

The negotiations were greatly influenced by the new conditions created as a result of various Israeli operations in Gaza and the Middle East in general. During 2024, Israel killed multiple Hamas leaders and conducted several rescue operations. Several hostages, including American Hirsh Goldberg, were executed by Hamas. Hostages under Hamas suffered from malnourishment and ill treatment. Female hostages reported sexual assault in captivity.

Toward the end of 2024, Israel dealt severe blows to Hamas ally Hezbollah through airstrikes and a ground invasion, during which it killed Hezbollah leaders including Hassan Nasrallah. The Assad Syria regime collapsed after Syrian rebel forces launched a series of offensives, taking advantage, according to ''The Times of Israel'', of the weakening by Israel of Syrian allies Hezbollah and Iran, as well as the weakened state of Syria's ally Russia due to its ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The various sides were accused of sabotaging the negotiations: On one hand, the Netanyahu administration was accused by the press of sabotaging ceasefire talks. On the other hand, top U.S officials John Kirby and Antony Blinken accuse Hamas of hindering progress and constantly causing the failures to reach a hostages deal and ceasefire.

Deal (2025)

On 15 January 2025, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement under which Hamas agreed to release hostages, including infants, children, women, and elderly men, abducted to Gaza during the 7 October 2023 attacks in exchange for the release of Hamas militants and other Palestinian prisoners, many involved in attacks on Israelis and some deemed responsible for the murder of Israelis, from Israeli prisons. The agreement also included a ceasefire, the second during the Gaza war. The ceasefire and the beginning of the hostage return are set to start on Sunday 19 January 2025.

The deal was achieved through negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. CNN reported that both the Biden administration and Trump's incoming administration played equal roles, with the role of the former administration facilitated by Middle Eastern negotiator Brett McGuirk, and were willing to work together and compromise due to a desire for a solution prior to the latter's inauguration. Prior to its conclusion, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump repeatedly warned that failure to release the hostages, including seven American citizens, before his 20 January inauguration would result in "hell to pay". A diplomat told ''The Washington Post'' that Trump pressured Israeli side to accept the deal. Israeli sources also claim that the incoming Trump administration revived the talks for a ceasefire. After the agreement was finalized, Trump stated that Gaza would never again serve as a "terrorist safe haven".

On Sunday, January 19, the ceasefire was scheduled to take effect at 8:30 AM local time. However, according to the agreement, Hamas was supposed to provide the names of the three hostages by Saturday, which it failed to do. As a result, Israel postponed the start of the ceasefire until Hamas handed over the names. Subsequently, Hamas published the list on Telegram, and the ceasefire came into effect at 11:15 AM.

Later, Hamas released three female hostages, Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, to the custody of the Red Cross, who transferred them to Israeli authorities. They were then welcomed by their mothers, who did not see them for 471 days, and taken for medical treatment at the Sheba Medical Center. In exchange, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank and hundreds of aid trucks carrying food and fuel were allowed to enter the Gaza Strip through the border crossings in Israel and Egypt.

On 21 February, Hamas returned to Israel the dead body of Shiri Bibas, after delivering the wrong body to Israel the day before. On 22 February 2025, citing Hamas's violations of the deal during the handover of the Bibas family's bodies, Israel refused to release 620 Palestinian prisoners as stipulated, instead instituting an indefinite delay, despite Hamas releasing six living hostages as stipulated. By 25 February, it was reported that Hamas and Israel had reached a deal for the return of four hostages' bodies and 602 Palestinian security prisoners, including a condition that Hamas end the handover ceremonies it had been holding at previous hostage transfers.

See also

* Diplomatic impact of the Gaza war
* List of Arab–Israeli prisoner exchanges

Notes

References

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Exchange of Israeli hostages
Exchange of Israeli hostages
Prisoner exchanges
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Israeli prisoner exchanges
Egypt–Israel relations
Israel–Qatar relations
Israel–United States relations
Egypt–Palestine relations
Palestine–Qatar relations
Palestine–United States relations