Palestinian families endure bitter wait as Israel stalls prisoner release

In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, and the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, families braved the freezing cold for hours, desperately waiting for the release of Palestinian prisoners—only to be met with yet another delay.

Al-Jazaeera reported that Um Diya al-Agha, whose son has been imprisoned for 33 years, had attended all six previous releases, clinging to the hope of seeing him walk free.

“Yesterday, I received news that he would be released, but I still can’t believe that my son will be free after 33 years,” she said at the European Hospital, where prisoners were supposed to undergo medical checkups.

“If my heart were made of iron, it would have melted and shattered. Every day, I have been waiting for this moment,” said the 80-year-old, reflecting the agony of countless Palestinian families suffering under Israel’s unjust imprisonment system.