N a moment where the pain of siege merged with tears of joy and victory, Gaza emerged on Monday from beneath the rubble to welcome its freed prisoners, sons of the city returning from Israeli jails. It was a deeply symbolic scene that rekindled the essence of freedom Palestinians had long dreamed of and reminded the world that this city does not die.
From the early morning hours, crowds poured into public squares and gathered in front of Red Cross offices and hospitals designated for the reception. Hearts beat with anticipation, eyes fixed on the moment when years of captivity would turn into a kiss on a waiting mother’s forehead, and a tear from a father who never lost hope of reunion.
Across the devastated streets, ululations echoed, chants of Allahu Akbar intertwined with national songs, while Palestinian flags and resistance banners fluttered above the ruins.
As soon as Red Cross vehicles carrying the released prisoners appeared, the chants erupted, ‘Freedom for the prisoners, resistance has triumphed!’ Children held photos of their fathers and brothers, women distributed sweets in the streets, and faces danced between tears and smiles.
Umm Ibrahim Breis, the mother of one freed prisoner, said: ‘This day is not only my son’s day, it’s a day for all of Palestine. The resistance kept its promise, and here we are reaping the fruits of our patience. They promised and delivered, and they will free the rest, Allah willing.’
It was more than a celebration of released prisoners, it was a symbolic declaration of the triumph of Palestinian will. Amid the destruction that blanketed neighbourhoods, people came out in simple clothes, weary faces full of hope. Every tear was a message of defiance to the world: Gaza cannot be broken. Even when crushed by war, it is reborn.
Gaza celebrates despite the pain.
The latest exchange deal crowned long months of patience and complex negotiations, adding another achievement to the resistance’s record proving once again that freedom is not granted, but seized.
Journalist Abdul Rahman Younis said: ‘This is not just a prisoner exchange, it’s a political and moral slap to the occupation, which tried to break Gaza’s will with fire and iron, only to end up submitting to its terms.’
For the people of Gaza, the deal is not merely about the return of prisoners, it’s the restoration of collective national dignity. Every freed captive is proof of a family’s patience, a city’s steadfastness, and a people’s determination not to surrender despite siege and suffering.
On the walls of destroyed homes, messages of victory were written: ‘The Resistance Keeps Its Promise’, ‘Freedom for All Prisoners’. Amid the ruins, decorations were hung, and the streets were adorned with the colours of the homeland. Thousands gathered in various locations, some awaiting the return of prisoners, others to witness the handover of Israeli captives’ bodies under the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ deal.
Scenes of joy extended beyond Gaza, to refugee camps in the diaspora, Arab cities, and even Western capitals. Social media was filled with photos of the freed prisoners and words of pride. Palestinians, Arabs, and free people around the world expressed solidarity with this human and political victory.
The ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ deal became a moment of collective awareness, celebrating not only the release of prisoners but reaffirming that the path of resistance remains the clearest route to dignity and liberation.
Today, Gaza tells the world once again: ‘We are bombed, and we rise. We are besieged, and we create. We fight, and we triumph. From the ashes of war, the blood of martyrs, and the tears of mothers, our story is reborn. The story of a homeland that will never bargain over its freedom or forget its sons behind bars.’
Under the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ prisoner exchange, 1,968 Palestinian prisoners were released from Ofer Prison toward Ramallah and Ketziot Prison toward Gaza. In return, Al-Qassam Brigades freed 20 living Israeli captives in two batches, one in Gaza City and another in the southern part of the Strip, handing them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which then transferred them to Israel.
Among the freed Palestinians were 250 prisoners serving life sentences, and 1,718 prisoners from the Gaza Strip, detained after October 7, 2023.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance and Israel began on Friday noon, after being approved by the Israeli government at dawn. The agreement calls for halting the war, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, mutual release of captives, and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.
Now, the TUC in the UK must follow the example of Spain and call a general strike to establish the State of Palestine!IN a moment where the pain of siege merged with tears of joy and victory, Gaza emerged on Monday from beneath the rubble to welcome its freed prisoners, sons of the city returning from Israeli jails. It was a deeply symbolic scene that rekindled the essence of freedom Palestinians had long dreamed of and reminded the world that this city does not die.
From the early morning hours, crowds poured into public squares and gathered in front of Red Cross offices and hospitals designated for the reception. Hearts beat with anticipation, eyes fixed on the moment when years of captivity would turn into a kiss on a waiting mother’s forehead, and a tear from a father who never lost hope of reunion.
Across the devastated streets, ululations echoed, chants of Allahu Akbar intertwined with national songs, while Palestinian flags and resistance banners fluttered above the ruins.
As soon as Red Cross vehicles carrying the released prisoners appeared, the chants erupted, ‘Freedom for the prisoners, resistance has triumphed!’ Children held photos of their fathers and brothers, women distributed sweets in the streets, and faces danced between tears and smiles.
Umm Ibrahim Breis, the mother of one freed prisoner, said: ‘This day is not only my son’s day, it’s a day for all of Palestine. The resistance kept its promise, and here we are reaping the fruits of our patience. They promised and delivered, and they will free the rest, Allah willing.’
It was more than a celebration of released prisoners, it was a symbolic declaration of the triumph of Palestinian will. Amid the destruction that blanketed neighbourhoods, people came out in simple clothes, weary faces full of hope. Every tear was a message of defiance to the world: Gaza cannot be broken. Even when crushed by war, it is reborn.
Gaza celebrates despite the pain.
The latest exchange deal crowned long months of patience and complex negotiations, adding another achievement to the resistance’s record proving once again that freedom is not granted, but seized.
Journalist Abdul Rahman Younis said: ‘This is not just a prisoner exchange, it’s a political and moral slap to the occupation, which tried to break Gaza’s will with fire and iron, only to end up submitting to its terms.’
For the people of Gaza, the deal is not merely about the return of prisoners, it’s the restoration of collective national dignity. Every freed captive is proof of a family’s patience, a city’s steadfastness, and a people’s determination not to surrender despite siege and suffering.
On the walls of destroyed homes, messages of victory were written: ‘The Resistance Keeps Its Promise’, ‘Freedom for All Prisoners’. Amid the ruins, decorations were hung, and the streets were adorned with the colours of the homeland. Thousands gathered in various locations, some awaiting the return of prisoners, others to witness the handover of Israeli captives’ bodies under the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ deal.
Scenes of joy extended beyond Gaza, to refugee camps in the diaspora, Arab cities, and even Western capitals. Social media was filled with photos of the freed prisoners and words of pride. Palestinians, Arabs, and free people around the world expressed solidarity with this human and political victory.
The ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ deal became a moment of collective awareness, celebrating not only the release of prisoners but reaffirming that the path of resistance remains the clearest route to dignity and liberation.
Today, Gaza tells the world once again: ‘We are bombed, and we rise. We are besieged, and we create. We fight, and we triumph. From the ashes of war, the blood of martyrs, and the tears of mothers, our story is reborn. The story of a homeland that will never bargain over its freedom or forget its sons behind bars.’
Under the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ prisoner exchange, 1,968 Palestinian prisoners were released from Ofer Prison toward Ramallah and Ketziot Prison toward Gaza. In return, Al-Qassam Brigades freed 20 living Israeli captives in two batches, one in Gaza City and another in the southern part of the Strip, handing them over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which then transferred them to Israel.
Among the freed Palestinians were 250 prisoners serving life sentences, and 1,718 prisoners from the Gaza Strip, detained after October 7, 2023.
The first phase of the ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance and Israel began on Friday noon, after being approved by the Israeli government at dawn. The agreement calls for halting the war, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, mutual release of captives, and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip.
Now, the TUC in the UK must follow the example of Spain and call a general strike to establish the State of Palestine!
