Tears and hugs salute 90 Palestinian women and children freed from Israeli prisons Gaza News

Ninety Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons and were greeted by large crowds of jubilant relatives, friends and supporters as they returned to their homeland in the occupied West Bank in the first prisoner exchange in Israel’s history. Ceasefire between Hamas and Israel After release Three Israeli prisoners in Gaza.

At approximately 1 a.m. local time on Monday (23:00 GMT), the Red Cross arrived Buses carrying 90 Palestinian prisoners They arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where they were greeted by crowds of thousands despite warnings from Israeli forces that celebrations would not be allowed.

Among the released Palestinians were 69 women and 21 teenage boys – some as young as 12 years old – from the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

Among them was Khalida Jarrar (62), a leading member of the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who was held for six months in solitary confinement under “administrative detention,” which allows Israeli authorities to imprison suspects indefinitely without charge or trial. Judgment.

In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, crowds lifted several returning prisoners onto their shoulders in an emotional show of support, while others screamed and whistled. Some attendees carried the flags of Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other armed resistance factions.

Seven hours earlier, three Israeli female prisoners in their mid-twenties and early thirties were released in Gaza.

Bushra Al-Taweel, a Palestinian journalist imprisoned in Israel in March 2024, was among the prisoners released on Monday.

Al-Taweel said that she began her journey at 3 a.m. on Sunday (01:00 GMT), when she was transferred from another Israeli prison before her release. In the second prison, she was grouped with other Palestinians awaiting their release.

“The waiting was very difficult,” she added, “but thank God we were sure that we would be released at any moment.”

Al-Taweel said that her father, who is also in an Israeli prison, will also be released soon.

“I was worried about him. He’s still a prisoner, but I just received good news that he will be released as part of this deal,” she added.

Amanda Abu Sharkh (23 years old) from Ramallah was among the hundreds who gathered to receive the liberated prisoners.

“We came here to witness this and feel the emotions, just like the families of the prisoners who were released today,” Abu Sharkh said.

“All the prisoners released today feel like family to us. They are part of us, even if they are not blood relatives,” she told AFP news agency.

Muhammad (20 years old) said that he came from Ramallah with his friends as soon as he heard that the prisoners would be released.

He was recently released from Israeli Ofer Prison, and expressed his “extreme joy” at the idea of ​​reuniting families.

He said: “I know a lot of people in prison. There are innocent people, children and women.”

The prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel represents the first of its kind since November 2023.

The exact number of Palestinians scheduled to be released as part of the ceasefire agreement remains unknown, with reported estimates ranging from approximately 1,000 to nearly 2,000.

In the first phase of the deal, Hamas is expected to return a total of 33 Israeli prisoners over the next 42 days – and they are scheduled to be released on Saturday.

The second phase of ceasefire negotiations is scheduled to begin within two weeks.

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on October 7, and nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s population has been forcibly displaced by Israeli evacuation orders and attacks.