Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Monday as part of a cease-fire that took effect on Sunday and included the release of three Israeli hostages.
The Palestinian prisoners arrived in two buses to the West Bank, where they were greeted by hundreds of cheering people. This was reported by the AFP agency, from which TASR took over the report.
Some of the crowd climbed onto the bus and unfurled the flag of the militant Hamas movement on its roof. They were immediately joined by others waving banners of the Fatah movement, other Palestinian organizations, as well as Palestinian flags.
Reporters took pictures inside the bus of several released female prisoners, who greeted the crowd with their index and middle fingers raised in a V-shaped victory sign.
Israel’s prison service has confirmed it has released the first Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire. “All terrorists from Ofer prison and the Jerusalem detention center have been released,” its spokesman said on Sunday.
At the same time, thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv and watched on big screens the return of three Israeli hostages released by Hamas: 28-year-old Emily Damari, 24-year-old Romi Gonen and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.
After returning to their homeland, the young women hugged their family members and cried with joy. Damariová, who lost two fingers in the October attack by Hamas, triumphantly raises her bandaged hand in the photos.
“The whole nation embraces you,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the women.
As part of the concluded agreement, Israel promised to release 737 prisoners in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages.
