Anger erupted among freed Palestinian prisoners after they were forced to wear shirts bearing the Israeli prison service logo, a Star of David, and the phrase "We do not forget and we do not forgive" in Arabic. Upon their release, many prisoners burned the shirts in protest, calling them a "racist crime" and a blatant violation of human rights.
The mass prisoner exchange took place on Saturday, with 369 Palestinians released in exchange for three Israeli captives in Gaza. As part of the swap, Israeli authorities reportedly made Palestinian prisoners don the controversial shirts, sparking widespread outrage.
Condemnation from Palestinian Groups
Hamas strongly condemned the move, calling it an attempt to degrade and humiliate Palestinian detainees. "We condemn the occupation’s crime of placing racist slogans on the backs of our heroic prisoners and treating them with cruelty and violence," Hamas said in a statement. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group also denounced the act as "a racist crime."
Upon arrival at the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, several released prisoners immediately set fire to the shirts in defiance. Others had worn them inside out to conceal the messages during the transfer.
Criticism Within Israel
The move drew criticism inside Israel as well. According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, an official source stated that the decision was made by Israel’s Prison Commissioner, Kobi Yaacobi, without prior approval from the country’s political leadership.
International Response
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitated the exchange, called on all parties to conduct releases in a more “dignified” manner. "Despite repeatedly calling for all transfers to be carried out in a dignified and private manner, more must be done by all sides, including mediators, to improve future transfers," the ICRC said in a statement.
Xavier Abu Eid, a political analyst based in Bethlehem, said the incident was part of a broader strategy to degrade Palestinian detainees. “We’ve been analyzing the humiliation of Palestinian prisoners for weeks. This act is not new but further harms both the prisoners and their families,” he told Al Jazeera.
Since the ceasefire began in January, a total of 24 Israeli captives and 985 Palestinian prisoners have been released, according to the ICRC.
