Ninety Palestinians have been free of Israeli prisons and had been greeted by massive crowds of jubilant family members, pals and supporters as they returned dwelling to the occupied West Financial institution within the first prisoner alternate of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire following the discharge of three Israeli captives in Gaza.
At about 1am native time on Monday (23:00 GMT), Purple Cross buses carrying the 90 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah within the occupied West Financial institution, the place they had been greeted by crowds of 1000’s regardless of warnings from Israeli forces that celebrations wouldn’t be allowed.
The freed Palestinians included 69 ladies and 21 teenage boys – some as younger as 12 – from the occupied West Financial institution and Jerusalem.
Amongst them was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a number one member of the leftist Common Entrance for the Liberation of Palestine, who had been held for six months in solitary confinement underneath “administrative detention”, which permits Israeli authorities to jail suspects indefinitely with out cost or courtroom verdict.
Within the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah, crowds lifted lots of the returned prisoners up onto their shoulders in an emotional present of assist, as others shouted and whistled. Some attending the gathering carried the flags of Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and different armed resistance teams.
Seven hours earlier, three Israeli ladies captives of their mid-20s to early 30s had been launched in Gaza.
Bushra al-Tawil, a Palestinian journalist jailed in Israel in March 2024, was additionally among the many prisoners launched on Monday.
Tawil mentioned she started her journey at 3am on Sunday morning (01:00 GMT), when she was taken from one other Israeli jail forward of launch. Within the second jail, she was grouped with different Palestinians awaiting launch.
“The wait was extraordinarily laborious. However thank God, we had been sure that at any second we might be launched,” she mentioned.
Tawil mentioned her father, who can be in an Israeli jail, will probably be launched quickly, too.
“I used to be fearful about him. He’s nonetheless a prisoner, however I simply obtained excellent news that he will probably be launched as a part of this deal,” she added.
Amanda Abu Sharkh, 23, from Ramallah, was among the many crowd of tons of who gathered to greet the freed prisoners.
“We got here right here to witness it and really feel the feelings, identical to the households of the prisoners who’re being launched at present,” Abu Sharkh mentioned.
“All of the prisoners being launched at present really feel like household to us. They’re a part of us, even when they’re not blood family members,” she informed the AFP information company.
Muhammad, 20, mentioned he had come from Ramallah together with his pals as quickly as he heard the prisoners could be launched.
Lately free of Israel’s Ofer Jail himself, he expressed “nice pleasure” on the considered households being reunited.
“I do know lots of people in jail, there are harmless folks, youngsters and girls,” he mentioned.
The prisoner alternate between Hamas and Israel marks the primary of its form since November 2023.
The precise variety of Palestinians as a result of be launched as a part of the ceasefire deal continues to be unknown, with reported estimates starting from roughly 1,000 to just about 2,000.
Within the first section of the deal, Hamas is predicted to return a complete of 33 Israeli captives over the following 42 days – with the following launch due on Saturday.
The second section of ceasefire negotiations is because of start in two weeks.
Greater than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed because the warfare started on October 7, and almost 90 p.c of Gaza’s inhabitants has been forcibly displaced by Israeli evacuation orders and assaults.