200 Palestinian prisoners are freed to jubilant scenes in the West Bank

A total of 200 Palestinian prisoners were freed in a scene of jubilation in the West Bank after Israel freed them in exchange for four hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

More than half of the 200 released were serving life sentences in Israeli prisons – some were convicted of multiple murders, including the killing of Israeli civilians. Others have never been charged with a crime.

About 70 of the most serious offenders were deported via Egypt to neighboring countries, including Qatar and Turkey.

A smaller number will be sent to Gaza. The rest – just over 120 – will be allowed to return to their homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“After the completion of the necessary measures in the prisons and the approval of the political authorities, all terrorists were released from Ofer and Kziot prisons,” the Israel Prison Service said in a statement.

Some of the freed prisoners were picked up by the crowd after they got off the buses with loud cheers and fireworks.

A scuffle then ensued as they tried to find their loved ones and family members before being herded into the sports complex where the celebrations continued.

“Thank God! It’s a great feeling, I can’t describe the feeling! I was in prison for six years and two months,” said released inmate Bakker Kvaavish after getting off one of the buses wearing a gray prison uniform.

The youngest Palestinian prisoner released on Saturday was 16 years old. The oldest, Mohammed al-Tus, was 69 years old. He spent 39 years in prison, having been arrested for the first time in 1985 while fighting Israeli forces.

Another inmate, Mohammad al-Ardah, was involved in a high-profile prison break in 2021.

A total of 121 of those released were serving life sentences.

Some prisoners were held in custody for a short time, while others were not charged, but were held under so-called administrative arrest.

Saturday’s exchange was the second since the cease-fire that took effect on January 19. During the first exchange, three hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners were released.

There was a visible show of support for Hamas during last week’s prisoner release, but on Saturday Fatah, the ruling West Bank party that dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA), turned out in force to show its support for the prisoners.

earlier on saturday four Israeli soldiers taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, have been released from Gaza.

Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albagh, all between the ages of 19 and 20, were released by the Red Cross in Gaza City during a heavily choreographed handover involving dozens of Hamas fighters.

However, Israel accused Hamas of violating the terms of the ceasefire because the female civilian hostage, Arbel Yehud, was not included in Saturday’s release.

Israel said it would delay the planned return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, while Hamas insisted the hostage would be released next weekend.

The January ceasefire agreement ended the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

More than 47,200 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.