Palestinian leader Yahya Sinwar with Qatar officials (qna.org.qa)
The issue of Palestinian lives being scalded off in Israeli prisons is one of the most deep-seated questions in their religious, social, and political spheres. Most of the top leaders of Palestinian resistance organizations have served prison terms. Therefore, the primary purpose of all hostage exchanges historically has been to rescue Palestinian prisoners. Freedom from slavery is one of the basic plinths in the Islamic-nationalism thoughts.
It is their sense of freedom that prompts the Palestinians to directly engage in self-defence, despite blazing setbacks. Hostage exchanges are crucial cornerstones in the history of the Palestinian struggle. History bear witness to how all militant organizations has used hostage exchange as their major weapon in the context of Islamic- Nationalism.
Through the history of hostage exchange:
The major operations like TWA Boeing hijack in 1969, Avraham Amram operation by PLO in 1978 and 1982, Bhamdoun operation in 1982, and hostage exchange of Joseph Fink Rahamim Al Sheikh in 1986, Itamar Ilya in 1997, Elhanan Tannenbaum in 2000, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in 2016, has played key role in allowing several Palestinians to escape the Israeli prison. In the late 1960s, militant organizations adopted guerrilla tactics and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners by taking the Israeli hostages to places inaccessible to Israel.
Visuals of displacement from Rafah in May, caused by bombardment by Israeli forces (Image: UNRWA)
Since the 1970s, Israel has had to release 7,500 Palestinians through prisoner exchanges. The 1985 Jibril Agreement and Shalit Deal are the renowned moves in the history. The Zionist state had to release 1150 Palestinians in exchange for three Israeli soldiers in a deal with the PFLP, led by Ahmad Jibril. They also had to release Sheikh Ahmad Yasin, who was arrested in 1984, on the basis of the agreement. In 1989, Sheikh Ahmed Yasin was arrested again and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, in 1997, Sheikh Yassin was released again in exchange for two Mossad agents who tried to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mishal in Jordan.
On June 25, 2006, 1,027 Palestinians were freed after five-and-a-half-year long negotiation using IDF soldier Gilat Shalit, who was captured by Hamas. Prominent Hamas leaders such as Yahya Sinwar, Ruhi Mushtaha, and Saleh al-Arouri were among those released. The exchange of these prisoners helped to bolster Hamas’ popularity in and around Palestine.
The five-year long negotiation for Gilat Shalit has become a demonstration of Hamas’ legitimacy and diplomatic power at regional and international levels. European countries such as France and Germany, West Asian countries such as Qatar and even regional powers including Egypt were ready to negotiate with Hamas. This political situation has also led to strengthening the acceptance of Hamas.
Visuals of Gaza destruction after Israel bombardment (Image: UNRWA)
Hamas succeeded in strategically diverting the time and attention of Israeli political leaders, commanders, and security intelligence officials. Moreover, situation has arrived where Israel had to indirectly give great importance to Hamas. International mediation has often exposed Israeli diplomatic failure and helplessness. In the context of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, Israel had to release 4,500 Palestinians in exchange for six soldiers captured by Fatah.
Tufanul Aqsa
In the 2023 October 7th attack, Hamas and other Palestinian militant organization has captured over 239 people, including senior military leaders as hostages, and took them to Gaza. The militants are mainly demanding the release of more than 7,000 Palestinians from Israeli prisons. During the first hostage exchange since the Hamas operation, 240 Palestinians were freed from Israeli prisons in exchange for 105 hostages. Other conditions put forward by Hamas include an end to attack on Palestine, an end to settlements in the West Bank-Aqsa areas, and the return of refugees to their homelands.
More than seven thousand Palestinians are undergoing torture in Israeli prisons. Many human rights organizations have pointed out that Palestinians are denied of basic needs aligned to the international law. Denial of food and drink, brutal torture and imposition of guilt are daily occurrences. Thousands of children are there without even a criminal trial. Those who worry about the hostages under Hamas captive are silent about the innocent people Israel is detaining and killing for no reason.
With a history of successful hostage exchanges, the Palestinian resistance groups cannot be trounced, no matter how hard Israel’s decision are. Moreover, history has shown that Israeli political leadership can be defeated through diplomacy. The image of the ‘only democratic state in West Asia’ moulded out by the Zionist state through various lobbies are also being questioned. Hamas clearly knows that the hostage exchange will become a crucial issue in the regional and international arenas. Which is exactly why the group has dared to move forward with the October attack, expecting a horrendous retaliation.
It is a fact that Israel has executed or re-arrested many of those released as part of the prisoner exchange in the past. The Zionist state has a history of not respecting any agreement with the Palestinians since the formation of the state till the date. Which is why, Hamas, who is precisely aware of this, does not believe many of the negotiations put forward by the Israeli-American alliance. The Palestinians know that temporary cease-fire agreements are not effective at all. The solution to the tribulations of Gaza can only be found through discussion which is clear and in which the Palestinians have upper hand.
(Dr Saifudheen Kunju S is an expert in West Asian Studies and faculty at JBAS Centre for Islamic studies, University of Madras, Chennai, India)
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the publisher.
