Families of numerous Palestinian detainees set to be released by Israel through a prisoner exchange deal express mixed emotions, as the joy of freedom is overshadowed by the news that their relatives will be exiled to foreign nations.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office, at least 154 Palestinians freed on Monday as part of the swap for Israeli captives held in Gaza will face forced deportation by Israeli authorities.
This group of deportees is part of a broader release involving 250 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, alongside approximately 1,700 Palestinians detained from the Gaza Strip during the two-year conflict, many of whom have been subjected to enforced disappearances, as reported by the United Nations. Meanwhile, Hamas and allied Palestinian factions have freed 20 Israeli prisoners under the terms of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Details regarding the destinations of the deported Palestinians remain undisclosed. However, during a previous release in January, several detainees were sent to countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, and Turkey.
Experts argue that this forced exile violates the fundamental citizenship rights of the released prisoners and highlights the unequal treatment embedded in these exchange agreements.
“This practice is clearly unlawful,” stated Tamer Qarmout, an associate professor specializing in public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, in an interview with Al Jazeera.
“These individuals are Palestinian nationals without alternative citizenship. Although they are freed from prison, they are effectively confined to a larger, more restrictive environment abroad, isolated from their communities and subjected to severe limitations. This is a deeply inhumane act.”
Families React to Deportation Orders
In Ramallah, located in the occupied West Bank, relatives of Muhammad Imran, a Palestinian prisoner, expressed their disbelief upon learning that he would be among those forcibly exiled by Israel.
Raed Imran recounted that the family had earlier been contacted by an Israeli intelligence official who assured them that Muhammad, 43, would be released to return home and inquired about his post-release residence.
However, on the day of release, the family was devastated to discover that Muhammad, arrested in December 2022 and sentenced to 13 life terms, would instead be deported.
“The news was a shock, but we remain hopeful. Perhaps we will find a way to see him,” Raed said. “What matters most is his freedom, whether here or abroad.”
This forced exile also raises concerns that his family may be unable to visit him overseas due to Israel’s strict control over border crossings.
“Many families may face the heartbreaking reality of their loved ones being sent away from Palestine with no possibility of reunion,” noted Al Jazeera correspondent Nida Ibrahim, who has extensively covered the occupied West Bank.
Israel Gains Strategically from Deportations
Qarmout explained that the deportations serve to undermine Hamas and other Palestinian factions by stripping them of any symbolic victories from the prisoner exchange and by removing influential figures from the political landscape.
“Exiling these prisoners effectively terminates their political engagement,” he said. “In their new countries, they will encounter severe restrictions, preventing them from participating in any activities related to the conflict.”
He further described the deportations as a form of forced displacement and collective punishment, not only for the prisoners but also for their families, who face separation or the difficult choice of leaving their homeland if permitted to join their exiled relatives.
“This arrangement benefits Israel on multiple fronts,” Qarmout added, contrasting the fate of the deported Palestinians with that of the Israeli captives, who will be able to reintegrate into their communities.
“It exemplifies ongoing double standards and hypocrisy,” he concluded.
Additional contributions by Mosab Shawer in Ramallah, occupied West Bank
