Israel releases five Palestinian prisoners

Israel has released five Palestinian prisoners in what marks the first unexpected release since the ceasefire took effect, offering a rare moment of hope and relief to families in Gaza.

The prisoners were handed over under the terms of the truce and immediately taken to a hospital in Deir el-Balah for medical check-ups.

While Israel freed only a handful, thousands of Palestinians remain behind bars, many held without charge or trial under Israel’s notorious administrative detention policy,  a system long condemned by rights groups as a tool of collective punishment and repression.