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"Twelve Palestinian prisoners, including one woman, were released by Israel and arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on Wednesday. Footage shows emotional scenes as families welcomed the detainees. A mother was seen standing beside a bus in tears before embracing her son upon his arrival. A released female prisoner was also seen entering the hospital. The mother of freed detainee Mohammed al-Qassas expressed her joy after more than three years in captivity. "I have been waiting for my son’s release for three years. Today, I learned he would finally be freed. I am very happy and pray that all prisoners return safely to their families," said Um Khalid al-Qassas. "Although I was detained for a relatively short period, it was an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone," added Mohammed. Iman al-Na’ouq, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said the organisation facilitated the transfer of the detainees from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the hospital in Deir al-Balah. "Our teams also worked to restore contact between detainees and their families and to facilitate reunions," she said, noting that since October 2023, the ICRC has not been granted access to Palestinian detainees held in Israeli detention centres. She stressed the need for the ICRC to be informed of detainees’ fate and whereabouts and reiterated that all detainees must be treated humanely, in accordance with international humanitarian law, including access to adequate conditions and family communication. The Palestinian Information Centre also reported that 12 prisoners, including a woman, arrived at the hospital via ICRC vehicles. The Israeli authorities had not commented on the release at the time of publication. The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing more than 1,100 people and taking over 200 hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign, resulting in 72,344 Palestinian deaths and 172,242 injuries, according to available figures. In January, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the second phase of a plan proposed by Donald Trump aimed at ending the conflict, including steps toward disarmament, governance reform and reconstruction."
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