Why it matters:
The killing of former prisoners, some of whom were freed under internationally brokered prisoner exchange deals, highlights Israel’s continued bombardment of civilian and humanitarian spaces in Gaza. It also deepens concerns over violations of international law and the collapse of previous agreements amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
What they're saying:
According to a report from Anadolu, quoting a medical source, Israeli airstrikes targeted refugee camps in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis and Al-Zuwaida in central Gaza, resulting in the death of six former Palestinian prisoners, most of whom had been exiled from the West Bank to Gaza.
A Palestinian source noted that five of the victims were released in the 2011 “Wafa al-Ahrar” (Loyalty to the Free) prisoner swap deal, in which Hamas exchanged Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners.
The sixth victim, the source added, was among those deported in 2002 from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem following a 39-day Israeli military siege. Under a negotiated agreement, 38 Palestinians were exiled to Gaza and Europe.
Furthermore, eight people were killed in aid distribution centers within the last day, bringing the total killed in such locations to 766 and the wounded to over 5,044.
Go deeper:
UN Warns Famine Crisis in Gaza Amid Blocked Aid
ahmad shirzadian
