Israel frees Palestinian prisoner after hunger-strike deal

[oberliner]

Israel freed a Palestinian prisoner from jail on Monday, completing a deal agreed earlier this year in exchange for him halting a lengthy hunger strike that almost killed him.

Samer al-Issawi stopped his eight-month, on-off fast last April. His confinement had stoked weeks of protests in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Israel convicted Issawi of shooting at an Israeli bus in 2002 but released him in 2011 along with more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whom Islamist militants had held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/23/us-palestinians-israel-prisoner-idUSBRE9BM0PT20131223

[azurnoir]

1. Israeli forces raid Samer Issawi house, 'ban' release celebration

Israeli forces on Monday raided the house of a prominent Palestinian prisoner due to be released later today and "banned" his family from organizing any celebrations, family members said.

Israeli intelligence officers accompanied by soldiers raided Samer Issawi's family home in Issawiya village near Jerusalem on Monday morning, a day after they raided his house to issue orders for his father and brother to meet with Israeli intelligence for interrogation.

On Monday, Israeli forces barred the family from organizing any celebrations, family members told Ma'an.

The soldiers reportedly added that no march celebrating his release would be tolerated in the neighborhood at any hour of the day, stating their intention to prevent neighbors and friends from welcoming him home in the traditional way.

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=659372

[dipsydoodle]

2. Charming.

[oberliner]

3. Attempted murderer's release results in calls for celebration?

One would think he would be shunned for indiscriminately firing on Israeli civilian vehicles.