Bushra al-Tawil, a 32-year-old journalist, was released from Israeli prison on Sunday as part of a ceasefire deal that saw Hamas start releasing hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Al-Tawil has spent over five years in jail, most recently since March 2024, despite never being formally charged.
During her time in prison, al-Tawil faced physical and emotional abuse, including beatings and threats of violence. She was also humiliated by the guards, who refused to allow her to wear her headscarf.
Al-Tawil is a conservative Muslim and the daughter of Jamal al-Tawil, a prominent Hamas politician held in an Israeli jail for over 19 years. When asked about supporting Hamas, she declined, citing the risk of being rearrested.
However, she expressed gratitude for the deal that brought her freedom. “The hostages meant I got out,” she said. “As long as there are hostages, prisoners like me will get their freedom.” Al-Tawil’s release is part of a larger prisoner exchange, which saw 1,000 Palestinian prisoners released in 2011 in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Thirty more Israeli hostages are expected to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire deal, in exchange for around 1,800 more Palestinian prisoners. Some have been convicted of serious offences, but many, like al-Tawil, were never charged or faced administrative detention due to security concerns.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9x1yvmm0no