For the families of Palestinian detainees freed by Israel under a hostage deal agreed with Hamas, the week brought relief tinged with sadness at the fighting that is set to continue in Gaza after the expiry of a four-day truce.
Thirty nine Palestinian women and minors detained on various charges were freed under an accord brokered by Qatar, Reuters reports.
“There is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait,” said Sawsan Bkeer, the mother of 24-year-old Palestinian prisoner Marah Bkeer, jailed for eight years on knife and assault charges in 2015. Israeli police were seen raiding her Jerusalem home before her daughter was released.
“We are still afraid to feel happy and at the same time, we do not have it in us to be happy due to what is happening in Gaza,” she said.
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