Israel releases oldest Palestinian prisoner

Israel on March 13 released the oldest Palestinian prisoner in Israeli prisons after 17 years behind bars.

Fuad al-Shubaki, 83, was released from Ashkelon prison in central Israel and taken by ambulance to the Tarqumia checkpoint, west of the city of Hebron, where he was greeted by family and supporters.

In his first comments since his release, al-Shubaki called for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

According to Palestinian figures, there are 4,780 Palestinians detained by Israel, including 160 children and 29 female prisoners.

Mr. al-Shubaki, born in 1940 in Gaza, was a senior member of the Fatah movement and a close ally of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. He also accompanied Mr. Arafat on many of the late President's foreign trips.

In 2022, he was arrested by Palestinian security forces at the height of the second uprising. He was accused of trying to smuggle weapons from Iran to Gaza on a ship – known as the Karine A – that was seized by Israel in the Red Sea.

The Israeli military said the ship was carrying 50 tonnes of weapons, including short-range Katyusha rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives from Iran and the Lebanon-based Shia Hezbollah movement.

He is being held by the Palestinian Authority in a prison in the West Bank town of Jericho under US and British supervision.

In 2006, the prison was raided by Israeli forces and Mr. al-Shubaki was taken to Israel, where he was tried in a military court. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, later reduced to 17 years .

Minh Duc (According to Al-Arabiya, Anadolu Agency)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/israel-phong-thich-tu-nhan-palestine-lon-tuoi-nhat-a597756.html