Palestinians celebrates the first anniversary "Devotion of the Free" Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamist movement Hamas, held a military rallies across the Gaza Strip - ruled by Hamas - to celebrate the first anniversary of the prisoner exchange deal with Israel, called by Hamas as the "Devotion of the Free". The release of 1,050 prisoners was part of the swap deal the movement had reached last year with Israel.
Under the deal, Hamas freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been in captivity in the Gaza Strip since June 2006. In return, Israel freed 1,050 Palestinian prisoners who were serving total sentences of 92,000 years in the Israeli jails.
Hundreds of Palestinians stood on the sides of the main Gaza Strip roads, which linking the Rafah crossing on Gaza Strip's border with Egypt and its northern border with Israel to greet the "resistance" factions.
At the anniversary celebrations, Prime Minister of the Hamas government in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh said the release of prisoners was not just a victory for the militants who captured Shalit, but all Palestinians and Muslim nations.
The welfare of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel is not a partisan issue, but concerns the whole nation, he said, stressing that the freed Palestinian prisoners were held because of their defence of all Palestinian people.
He called for a complete national strategy to free all Palestinians detained in the Israeli jails, based on ending the division between his government and the Fatah-dominated authority in the West Bank.
"A national strategy must defend the choice of resistance, and make prisoners a top priority," he said.
Abu Obaida, spokesperson of the al-Qassam Brigades, stated that the Palestinian resistance forced the Israeli enemy to liberate 1,050 of Palestinian detainees sentenced for many thousands of years, and will remain committed to securing the release of all detainees.
The first phase of the swap deal was implemented on October 18 2011 when Hamas sent Shalit to Egypt and Israel released 477 Palestinian detainees in return.
"This swap deal will not be the last. We will always act in order to secure the release of all detainees," Abu Obaida said. "We promised, we fulfilled our promise, and we will always fulfill our promises. The release of the detainees is our top priority, and the resistance will always work to achieve this goal."
Abu Obaida further stated that the swap deal came as an outcome of an ongoing political, security and armed struggle, based on to the relentless efforts of the armed groups.
"Anniversary of the 'Devotion of the Free' is not a national festival only, but a page in history of glory," he stated.
Abu Obaida thanked the resistance, and saluted the fighters who were killed while resisting the occupation and during the attack that led to capturing Shalit in 2006.
"We dedicate this achievement to the soul of [Hamas founder] the martyr Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and all martyrs and prisoners".
The al-Qassam pokesperson said that "armed resistance groups will always defend their people, will always act for the liberation of Palestine, and the release of all detainees."