90 Palestinian women and children freed from Israeli prisons welcomed with tears and hugs. gaza news
Ninety Palestinians were freed from Israeli prisons in the first prisoner exchange of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire following the release of three Israeli detainees in Gaza and were greeted by large crowds of excited relatives, friends and supporters as they returned home to the occupied West Bank. Welcomed. ,
At around 1am local time (23:00 GMT) on Monday, Red Cross buses carrying 90 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where they were welcomed by thousands of crowds, even as Israeli forces warned that the ceremony would be disrupted. Will not be allowed. ,
The freed Palestinians included 69 women and 21 teenage boys from the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem – some of whom were as young as 12.
They included Khaleda Jarrar, 62, a prominent member of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who was held in solitary confinement for six months under “administrative detention”, which Israeli authorities detain suspects without charge or trial. Allows to be kept in jail indefinitely. Decision.
In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, crowds carried several returned prisoners on their shoulders in an emotional show of support, while others shouted and whistled. Some participants in the gathering carried flags of Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other armed resistance groups.
Seven hours earlier, three Israeli female detainees between the ages of 20 and 30 were released in Gaza.
Palestinian journalist Bushra al-Tawil, who was imprisoned in Israel in March 2024, was also among the prisoners released on Monday.
Tawil said he began his journey at 3 a.m. Sunday (01:00 GMT), when he was transported from another Israeli prison ahead of his release. In another prison, he was held with other Palestinians awaiting release.
“The wait was extremely difficult. But thank God, we were sure that we would be released any moment,” she said.
Tawil said his father, who is in an Israeli prison, would also be released soon.
“I was worried about him. He is still a prisoner, but I have just received good news that under this deal he will be released.
Amanda Abu Sharq, 23, of Ramallah, was among hundreds of people who gathered to welcome the freed prisoners.
“We came here to see it and to feel the same emotions as the families of the prisoners being released today,” Abu Sharq said.
“All the prisoners released today feel like family to us. They are part of us, even if they are not blood relatives,” he told AFP news agency.
Mohammed, 20, said he came from Ramallah with his friends as soon as he heard the prisoners would be released.
Recently freed from Israel’s Ofer prison, he expressed “great joy” at the idea of families being reunited.
“I know a lot of people in jail, there are innocent people, children and women,” he said.
The prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel is the first of its kind since November 2023.
The exact number of Palestinians to be released as part of the ceasefire agreement is still unknown, with estimates ranging from around 1,000 to around 2,000.
In the first phase of the deal, Hamas is expected to return a total of 33 Israeli detainees over the next 42 days – with the next release taking place on Saturday.
The second phase of ceasefire talks is scheduled to begin in two weeks.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on October 7, and about 90 percent of Gaza’s population has been forcibly displaced by Israeli evacuation orders and attacks.
