Palestinian families wait to hear prisoners’ fate

Uncertainty over who will be deported tempers West Bank mood after deal with Israel to free Gilad Shalit When the news came through that the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was to be released, a wave of relief spread across the West Bank. There are currently around 7,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, of whom 180 are children. And this Saturday, 1,026 families will hear whether their husband, wife, child or sister will be among the prisoners Israel will free in return for its captive sergeant. The wait is fraught with hope and anxiety. Among those due to be released are people convicted of mass murders, but there are also those who were simply members of organisations banned by Israel, or who threw rocks at Israeli soldiers. Mohamed Tamimi, 36, has not seen his sister Ahlan since four years ago, when he was last granted a permit to see her in prison. Ahlan is serving 16 life sentences for driving a suicide bomber to a Sbarro pizza restaurant in Jerusalem in 2001. The blast killed 15 people and injured 130, in one of the bloodiest terrorist attacks in Israel’s history. She is reported to be among those marked for release, but her family knows nothing for certain. As news reports say she will be sent to Jordan, Mohamed is preparing to travel there this weekend. “It’s been a very tense week,” he said. “I still don’t know anything. News reports say she is going to be deported to Jordan, but I still don’t know if she’ll be going there or some other country. I have no idea what visas I’m going to need.” Ahlan was arrested when she was 22 years old, during the height of the intifada. Mohamed said her involvement in the bombing came as a huge shock to her family. He assumed Hamas recruited her at Bir Zeit University, where she was studying journalism. She was a perfect target, he said – she did not wear a headscarf and spoke fluent English, so would have aroused little suspicion from Israeli soldiers: “I don’t want to justify her actions. She has a deep connection with this land, she wanted to be part of the resistance. There was so much pressure on us at that time, so much death, frustration – but really, I don’t think she fully thought through what she was doing.”On Thursday a small group of protesters staged a demonstration in Ramallah’s Manara Square, linked in prisoner’s chains in solidarity with the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israel’s jails. Among the demonstrators was Hassan Karaja, whose sister Sumoud is among the hunger strikers. Hassan said Sumoud, who taught health and nutrition, was imprisoned for attempting to cross from Ramallah into Jerusalem without the permit required by West Bank inhabitants. Israel accused her of stabbing an Israeli soldier at Qalandiya checkpoint and earlier this year she was sentenced to 20 years in prison. “She wasn’t trying to do anything that wasn’t her right,” said Karaja, 26. “I am very happy – I am sure she will soon be free. It’s important for her to complete her education. But I’m very sad for the families of prisoners who will stay in jail and for those who will be deported to Gaza, Egypt, Jordan and who knows where.” Israeli authorities have confirmed that 203 of the first 450 prisoners to be released will be sent abroad. A total of 110 of those are from the West Bank. Ahlan Tamimi is now 31, and Mohamed hopes she will be able to start a new life, with political activism behind her. She had wanted to become a journalist and was an honours student at Bir Zeit. Ahlan’s fiance, Nizar Tamimi, is also in prison, accused of killing a settler in the West Bank. It is still not clear whether he will be freed next week “My father and I want to see Ahlan in a white veil getting married. I want to see her children call me uncle,” said Mohamed. “But as happy as we are about this deal, it is not a complete happiness. Deportation will be so painful for Ahlan. I don’t know how she will cope with being banished from the land she is so devoted to.” Palestinian territories Gilad Shalit Israel Middle East Phoebe Greenwood guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 13, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.