Today, 369 security prisoners were freed from Israeli prisons and relocated to Yerushalayim, Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.
In line with orders from the Israeli Prison Service Commissioner, Kobi Yaakobi, the freed prisoners were dressed in shirts adorned with the Star of David and Arabic text stating: “We will not forget, we will not forgive.”
Ahmed Barghouti, a close associate of Marwan Barghouti, was among those released as part of the hostage deal. Barghouti, who had been sentenced to 13 life terms, was arrested alongside Marwan in Ramallah in 2002. He had been the operational commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the armed faction of Fatah, and was responsible for arming the group’s cells.
Barghouti was convicted for orchestrating several deadly attacks, including the March 2002 Seafood Market restaurant bombing in Tel Aviv, which killed three Israelis and injured 30 others. He was also responsible for the February 2002 attack in Neve Yaakov, Yerushalayim, which resulted in the death of a policewoman and injuries to nine others, as well as the Rechov Yaffo attack in Yerushalayim, where two women were killed.
Mazen al-Qadi, another terrorist from Fatah, was released along with Shadi Abu Shhadeh. Al-Qadi had been convicted for transporting the terrorist responsible for the Seafood Market attack. Abu Shhadeh, who was sentenced to life in prison, had been a planner of the 2002 suicide bombing at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, which killed six people and injured dozens more.
Amjad Takatka, a member of Fatah who was serving six life sentences and an additional 20 years for his involvement in the Mahane Yehuda bombing, was also part of the group of released prisoners.
The list also included Mohammad Maslah, a Tanzim operative who had been sentenced to nine life terms. Maslah participated in the lynching of two IDF soldiers in Ramallah in 2000 and was involved in the murder of eight other Israelis in multiple shooting attacks in Jerusalem. He had also planned a series of attacks that left more than 50 Israelis injured.
A spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) commented: “The Israel Prison Service has completed the release of terrorists as part of Operation ‘Wings of Liberty,’ aimed at bringing the hostages home. As part of Operation ‘Derech Eretz,’ 369 terrorists were moved from various detention centers across the country for processing at Ofer and Ketziot prisons, under the escort of the IPS’s Nachshon Unit, with the support of the Israel Police.”
“After completing the reception process and securing approval from Israel’s political leadership, all the terrorists were released from Ofer prison to Yerushalayim, Judea, and Samaria, while those from Ketziot were sent towards the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza. The release of the terrorists follows the plan agreed upon for the return of the hostages, in full coordination with all security agencies.”
{Matzav.com Israel}