https://arab.news/vguhw
- Israel is due to release over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal
The Hamas-run Prisoners Office says buses carrying dozens of freed Palestinian prisoners have arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah and in the Gaza Strip.
Israel is freeing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees on Monday after Hamas freed all remaining living hostages held in Gaza under the two sides’ ceasefire deal.
The buses arrived in Ramallah after leaving Ofer prison, in the Israel-occupied West Bank, said the Prisoners Office. At least one bus also crossed into the Gaza Strip, it said.
Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory.
The bodies of the 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.
Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv cheered as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.
Later, Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home.
Among them was a photo of Gali and Ziv Berman with expressions of disbelief as they reunited with each other. Hostages previously released said the 28-year-old twins from Kfar Aza were held separately.
In the initial photos, those released appeared less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.
Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. In the West Bank, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd waiting near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered.
The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organizations” risked arrest. Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flier, which The Associated Press obtained on site.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.
The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.