On 11 October 2011, Israel and Hamas authorities concluded a deal whereby 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The Palestinian prisoners were released in two stages, with 477 prisoners released on 18 October and the remaining 550 on 18 December. This factsheet looks at who the released prisoners are, in terms of gender, origin and time spent in prison.
On 11 October 2011, Israel and Hamas authorities concluded a deal whereby 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The Palestinian prisoners were released in two stages, with 477 prisoners released on 18 October (click here for Addameer‘s photo gallery of the release) and the remaining 550 on 18 December.
Only 27 of the total 35 women held in Israeli prisons at the time of the exchange deal were included in the first list of prisoners to be released, despite agreement by Israel that all female political prisoners would be included in the exchange. Crucially, of the first 477 prisoners to be released, 205 of them were not reunited with their families as their release was made contingent on their deportation or transfer, both of which are in violation of international law. Click here to read Addameer and Al-Haq‘s statement on the terms of the prisoner exchange deal.
On 18 December, 550 prisoners were released in completion of the second phase of the exchange deal. Of the 550 prisoners released in this phase, all were released to their homes, however, only 6 of the 11 women in Israeli detention were included on the list of released prisoners. Click here to read Addameer‘s statement on this phase of releases.
The prisoner exchange deal in numbers
18 October release
The full list of the first 477 names published by the Israeli Prison Service is available in English and Hebrew. Below is an analysis of the 477 prisoners, providing information on the prisoners‘ background, place and condition of release, and arrest and sentencing. The analysis is also available in PDF format.
Background of the released prisoners
|
Gender
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
Men
|
450
|
|
Women
|
27
|
|
Origin
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
Gaza Strip
|
133 (132 men, 1 woman)
|
|
West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem)
|
290 (267 men, 23 women)
|
|
East Jerusalem
|
46 (45 men, 1 woman)
|
|
Golan Heights
|
1
|
|
Israel
|
7 (5 men, 2 women)
|
|
Political affiliation
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
Hamas
|
307
|
|
Fatah
|
99
|
|
Islamic Jihad
|
27
|
|
PFLP
|
24
|
|
DFLP
|
6
|
|
Other
|
14
|
Place of Release
|
Home releases
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
Released home without conditions
|
217
|
|
-in the Gaza Strip
|
133
|
|
-in the West Bank
|
77 (including 8 to East Jerusalem)
|
|
-in Israel
|
6
|
|
-in Golan Heights
|
1
|
|
Released home in the West Bank with security conditions
|
55 (including 6 to East Jerusalem)
|
|
Total
|
272
|
|
Deportations and transfers
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
Transfer to the Gaza Strip for 3 years
|
18 (1 from East Jerusalem, 17 from rest of West Bank)
|
|
Transfer to the Gaza Strip for indefinite period
|
146 (1 from Israel, 17 from East Jerusalem, 128 from rest of West Bank)
|
|
Deportation abroad
|
41 (13 from East Jerusalem, 28 from rest of West Bank)
|
|
Total
|
205
|
Details on Arrest and Sentencing
|
Date of Arrest
|
Number of prisoners
|
Total by period |
|
1978-1979
|
3
|
Pre-Oslo years: 172 prisoners |
|
1980-85
|
10
|
|
|
1986-1989
|
57
|
|
|
1990-1993
|
102
|
|
|
1994-1999
|
54
|
Oslo years: 54 prisoners |
|
2000-2005
|
216 (including 13 women)
|
Second Intifada to the present: 250 prisoners |
|
2006-2011
|
34 (including 14 women)
|
|
Sentencing
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
One or more life sentences
|
278
|
|
41-82 years
|
7
|
|
31-40 years
|
30
|
|
21-30 years
|
97
|
|
11-20 years
|
51
|
|
1-10 years
|
10
|
|
Administrative detention
|
3 (all women)
|
|
Detained until conclusion of legal proceedings
|
1
|
|
Date of release
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
2011 (less than one year to serve)
|
4
|
|
2012 (1 year to serve)
|
9
|
|
2013 (2 years to serve)
|
4
|
|
2014 (3 years to serve)
|
4
|
|
2015 (4 years to serve)
|
5
|
|
2016 (5 years to serve)
|
8
|
|
2017 (6 years to serve)
|
5
|
|
2018 (7 years to serve)
|
8
|
|
2019 (8 years to serve)
|
7
|
|
2020 (9 years to serve)
|
4
|
|
2021 (10 years to serve)
|
9
|
|
2022-2031 (11-20 years to serve)
|
97
|
|
2032-2041 (21-30 years to serve)
|
31
|
|
2042-2051 (31-40 years to serve)
|
3
|
|
2052-2075 (41-64 years to serve)
|
1
|
|
Life
|
278
|
18 December release
The full list of the 550 names published by the Israeli Prison Service is available in English and Hebrew. Below is an analysis of the 550 prisoners, providing information on the prisoners‘ background, date of arrest and sentencing. The analysis is also available in PDF format.
Background of the released prisoners
|
Gender
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
Men
|
544
|
|
Women
|
6
|
|
Origin
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
Gaza Strip
|
40
|
|
West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem)
|
506 (501 men, 5 women)
|
|
East Jerusalem
|
2 (1 man, 1 woman)
|
|
Jordan
|
2
|
Details on Arrest and Sentencing
|
Date of Arrest
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
1999
|
2
|
|
2001
|
7
|
|
2002
|
14
|
|
2003
|
13
|
|
2004
|
13
|
|
2005
|
4
|
|
2006
|
29
|
|
2007
|
70
|
|
2008
|
90
|
|
2009
|
81 (including 1 woman)
|
|
2010
|
109
|
|
2011
|
118 (including 5 women)
|
|
Sentencing
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
More than 10 years
|
49
|
|
9 years
|
13
|
|
8 years
|
23
|
|
7 years
|
26
|
|
6 years
|
29
|
|
5 years
|
65
|
|
4 years
|
51
|
|
3 years
|
52
|
|
2 years
|
72 (including 2 women)
|
|
1 year
|
98 (including 3 women)
|
|
Less than 1 year
|
71
|
|
Detained until conclusion of legal proceedings
|
1 (1 woman)
|
|
Date of release
|
Number of prisoners
|
|
December 2011 (less than 1 month to serve)
|
25
|
|
January 2012 (less than 2 months to serve)
|
75
|
|
2012
|
259
|
|
2013
|
80
|
|
2014
|
31
|
|
2015
|
31
|
|
2016
|
21
|
|
2017
|
21
|
|
2018
|
1
|
|
2019
|
5
|
|
Detained until conclusion of legal proceedings
|
1
|