Ninety Palestinians have been free of Israeli prisons and had been greeted by massive crowds of jubilant family, mates and supporters as they returned residence to the occupied West Financial institution within the first prisoner trade of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire following the discharge of three Israeli captives in Gaza.
At about 1am native time on Monday (23:00 GMT), Crimson 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 girls 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 Well-liked 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 most 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 girls 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 stated 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 arduous. However thank God, we had been sure that at any second we’d be launched,” she stated.
Tawil stated her father, who can also be in an Israeli jail, shall be launched quickly, too.
“I used to be frightened about him. He’s nonetheless a prisoner, however I simply obtained excellent news that he shall 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 in the present day,” Abu Sharkh stated.
“All of the prisoners being launched in the present day really feel like household to us. They’re a part of us, even when they’re not blood family,” she instructed the AFP information company.
Muhammad, 20, stated he had come from Ramallah along with his mates as quickly as he heard the prisoners could be launched.
Not too long ago 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 individuals, kids and girls,” he stated.
The prisoner trade between Hamas and Israel marks the primary of its form since November 2023.
The precise variety of Palestinians on account of be launched as a part of the ceasefire deal remains 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 subsequent 42 days – with the subsequent 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 battle started on October 7, and practically 90 p.c of Gaza’s inhabitants has been forcibly displaced by Israeli evacuation orders and assaults.
