At least 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released from Israeli custody into the occupied West Bank on Sunday as part of a prisoner exchange outlined in a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
This marked the start of a six-week truce in Gaza, which began early Sunday, aimed at ending a 15-month-long conflict.
The release followed the return of three Israeli women, who had been held captive in Gaza for 471 days, by Hamas-led militants.
In the West Bank, the newly freed Palestinians arrived to jubilant scenes at a suburban Ramallah traffic circle.
Families braved the cold, bundled in winter coats, waving Palestinian flags, and cheering as buses carrying the detainees arrived.
Several of the freed individuals, some clad in what appeared to be Israeli prison uniforms, were lifted onto the shoulders of friends and family amid the celebrations.
According to the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs, the released detainees included women and minors.
Hours earlier, three Israeli women—Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher—crossed into Israel aboard a military transport vehicle after being transported from Gaza City in a Red Cross vehicle.
Crowds of Palestinians surrounded the car as Hamas fighters stood atop it, set against the backdrop of Gaza’s war-scarred skyline.
Once in Israeli custody, the Red Cross transferred the women to Israeli forces, who took them to a reception center near Tel Aviv. Doctors and psychologists provided medical evaluations before the women were reunited with their families and taken to a hospital for further care.
The ceasefire, brokered in Qatar with mediators from multiple nations, includes the release of 33 Israeli hostages over six weeks and 1,900 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirmed his commitment to securing the release of all 94 remaining hostages, most of whom were taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on southern Israel.
Israeli authorities published a list of detained Palestinians set for release, which included prominent figures such as Khalida Jarrar of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Abla Sa’adat, wife of PFLP leader Ahmad Sa’adat.
In Charleston, South Carolina, President Joe Biden commented on the intense negotiations that led to the truce, saying, “The deal that I first put forward last May for the Middle East has finally come to fruition.”
He noted that aid trucks were entering Gaza and described the negotiations as some of the toughest he had ever participated in.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., President-elect Donald Trump credited his administration for the agreement during a rally ahead of his inauguration.
“Perhaps most beautiful of all this week, we achieved an epic ceasefire agreement as a first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East,” Trump stated, emphasizing the role of his team, including envoy Steve Witkoff, who worked alongside Biden’s negotiators.
The ceasefire went into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time, after a delay caused by Hamas providing its list of hostages later than agreed.
Despite the truce holding throughout Sunday, Israeli forces reported airstrikes earlier in the day, including one targeting a Hamas military vehicle.
The conflict’s toll remains staggering, with Gaza health officials reporting 46,913 deaths from Israeli airstrikes and ground battles.
The Israeli military recorded 405 soldiers killed during the war, alongside 1,200 civilians killed in the October 7 attack.
Amid these developments, Israel’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, announced its withdrawal from Netanyahu’s governing coalition, calling the ceasefire a “victory for terrorism.”
In a separate operation, Israeli forces recovered the body of Oron Shaul, an infantry soldier killed during clashes with Hamas in 2014.
Hamas militants continue to hold 94 hostages in Gaza, with many taken in recent years and some reportedly deceased.
