1971 Exchange: First Prisoner Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi Freed for Soldier Shmuel Fayz

On 28 January 1971 at Ras al-Naqoura, under the Red Cross, a “prisoner for prisoner” exchange took place between the Fatah movement and the occupation, in which Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi, the first prisoner of the contemporary Palestinian revolution, was freed in return for the soldier Shmuel Fayz, captured by Fatah. ^[1][2]

Contents

1. The deal at a glance
2. Who was Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi
3. The exchange
4. Timeline
5. Frequently asked questions about the 1971 Hijazi exchange

The deal at a glance

^[1][2]

Who was Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi

According to Al Jazeera Net, Hijazi was captured on 7 January 1965 during the blowing up of the Beit Jibrin bridge near Hebron; the Israeli military prosecution demanded his execution, but Israel’s Supreme Court cancelled the death sentence and sentenced him to life. Alwatan Voice describes him as the first Palestinian prisoner of the contemporary Palestinian revolution, launched on 1 January 1965, and the first to be charged with belonging to Fatah. ^[1][2]

The exchange

On 28 January 1971 the exchange took place at Ras al-Naqoura under the Red Cross, and Hijazi was freed in return for the soldier Shmuel Fayz. Al Jazeera Net says the PLO stipulated that the exchange include Hijazi alone. After his release Hijazi went to Lebanon, and returned to Gaza after the Oslo Accord in 1994 according to Alwatan Voice. ^[1][2]

Timeline

Frequently asked questions about the 1971 Hijazi exchange

Who was the first prisoner of the contemporary Palestinian revolution?

Mahmoud Bakr Hijazi according to Alwatan Voice. ^[2]

When was Hijazi freed?

On 28 January 1971 at Ras al-Naqoura. ^[1][2]

Who was he exchanged for?

For the soldier Shmuel Fayz. ^[1][2]

Sources and references

1. Al Jazeera Net, “The longest-held prisoners and the story of cell 139”, 17 April 2013 (in Arabic).
2. Alwatan Voice, “Prisoner exchange operations with the occupation from 1948 to 2011”, for Palestinian Prisoners’ Day (in Arabic; the link is to the site’s home page).