Releasing the youngest Palestinian prisoner in Israeli occupation prisons and reuniting him with his family

Jerusalem

Ahmed Al-Salaymeh, 14 years old, the youngest Palestinian prisoner, was released from Israeli prisons under recent agreements with Hamas. He met his family and ate his mother’s favorite food in the company of his lover.

As part of a prisoner exchange deal, Israel released, on Tuesday, 30 Palestinians, including 15 women and 15 children, in exchange for 10 Israeli women and children in the Gaza Strip.

Ahmed returned home with his two cousins, aged 15 and 16, in the Ras al-Amoud neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem.

Before the liberation, the Israeli police deployed around the Al-Salaymeh family building and raided their apartments. Hours later, Ahmed, who was arrested by Israel in May, was reunited with his family.

Ahmed’s mother, Sahar Mansour Al-Salaymeh, told Anadolu that the boy was arrested last May for throwing stones at settlers in illegal Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem, and that the family was unable to communicate after October 5.

She highlighted the love with which she prepared the meals that Ahmed loved the most, and said: “I am very happy that my son is free. But this prisoner exchange had a very high cost. Thousands of martyrs and thousands of people were displaced from their homes.” Their homes are in the cold, and God willing, the war will end.”

Al-Salaymeh said that no one is safe in Palestine, noting that 150 Palestinian prisoners have been released, but Israel has arrested more than 3,200 others since October 7.

From house arrest to prison

Ahmed’s father, Nawaf Al-Salaymeh, said that his son had moved from house arrest to prison.

“As a former prisoner, I was unable to visit my son. Since his mother has a West Bank ID, she was unable to visit him either. Even though he was the youngest Palestinian prisoner during his time in prison, we were not able to.” “I was able to visit him,” he said in a statement.

Referring to the interruption of communications with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons after October 7, he expressed his concern during that period.

He added: “Given the news of increasing pressure, torture and humiliation in prisons, we waited with anxiety.”

“I am very happy that my son Ahmed is free. But this joy is incomplete, this joy is heartbreaking. My son, the youngest Palestinian prisoner, walked to freedom on the blood of 15,000 martyrs in the Gaza Strip.

The boy missed his mother, family and friends

Ahmed said that he learned of his release hours before it happened.

He said the situation in the prison worsened after October 7, when all communications with the outside world were cut off and court proceedings were suspended.

He expressed that he misses his mother and family very much and wants to see his friends from school as soon as possible.

The truce in the conflict in the Gaza Strip came into effect on 24 November for a four-day “humanitarian truce”.

Within the framework of the prisoner exchange agreement, 61 Israeli prisoners have been released so far, one man and the rest women and children, in addition to 180 Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons.

On November 27, Qatar announced the extension of the “humanitarian truce” for an additional two days as a result of its mediation efforts.

*Aisha Sandoval Alagona contributed to this memo.

Anadolu Agency website contains only part of the news provided to subscribers on the AA News Broadcast System (HAS), in summary form.