Emotional scenes unfolded across Gaza and the occupied West Bank as hundreds of Palestinians celebrated the release of more than 250 prisoners freed by Israel as part of a major exchange deal with Hamas. The release also included around 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held without charge.
Many of the freed prisoners, some convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis, returned home looking frail after years in detention. In Ramallah, families wept and cheered as Red Cross buses arrived carrying prisoners draped in traditional keffiyeh scarves.
Among them was Rashid Omar, who had been imprisoned since 2005. His cousin, Amro Abdullah, waited anxiously to greet him. “He is ready to embrace freedom,” Abdullah said. “I want peace, a happy life, safe and free from occupation.”
While around 100 prisoners were released into the West Bank, others were deported or sent to East Jerusalem. Israel had urged restraint to prevent scenes of mass celebration often seen during previous exchanges. Many families avoided speaking to journalists, citing warnings from Israeli authorities.
In Gaza, the atmosphere was equally charged. Families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to welcome their loved ones, with medical teams on standby. “It’s a national holiday,” said Muhammad Hasan Saeed Dawood, whose son was among the freed. “Despite the pain, today is a day of joy.”
Human rights groups have long raised concerns about the treatment of Palestinian detainees. The Israeli Supreme Court recently acknowledged that prisoners were not receiving adequate food, while advocates reported widespread starvation and abuse.
The prisoner release marked the first phase of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attacks that killed about 1,200 Israelis, has left more than 67,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
A fragile ceasefire took effect on Friday, with further negotiations expected to follow in the coming days.
