Israel has released 369 Palestinian prisoners after Hamas released three hostages under a ceasefire deal. They were released on Saturday. A large crowd gathered in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank before the arrival of the convoy of Palestinians, as it had been announced in advance that a small group of the freed Palestinians would be brought there.
The British media outlet BBC says that many people, including relatives of the prisoners, were present there. Many of those present were seen expressing relief. They expressed relief and said that many were able to be released on Saturday because the ceasefire was in effect.
"We were very worried, we couldn't sleep for fear that the ceasefire agreement would collapse. We were very disappointed. Our prayers were for the ceasefire to hold, for Gaza to be rebuilt and for all the prisoners to be released," the relative of a man detained during the Palestinian Intifada between 2000 and 2005, who is awaiting release, told the BBC.
Among those released by Israeli authorities on Saturday were people convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis who were detained without trial or charge.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Association, 29 of the Palestinians being released by Israel are from the West Bank and seven from Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. The organization also said that 333 people detained in Gaza after October 7, 2023, will be released.
While some of the released Palestinian prisoners were convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis, most were arrested during the war and have not faced any formal charges or trials.
Earlier, amid growing concerns about the future of the Gaza ceasefire, Hamas released three more Israeli prisoners on Saturday. They were handed over to the Red Cross from Khan Younis in Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said the three prisoners released on Saturday had already arrived in Israel. Several images published in the media showed the hostages surrounded by gunmen before they were released. They were held by Hamas during the Gaza war.
The 15-month-long Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 people. Thousands are still missing. Including the missing, the death toll stands at more than 61,000. More than 100,000 have been injured. In addition, more than 2 million people have been forcibly displaced.
