Hundreds of freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been welcomed with tears and screams of joy as they were released by Israel to be reunited with their families in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The release involved about 250 prisoners who had been convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis - and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held by Israel without charge.
As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.
They were freed as part of an exchange in which 20 Israeli hostages and the remains of four deceased hostages were released by Hamas.
He is ready to embrace freedom, said Amro Abdullah, 24, who was waiting for his cousin Rashid Omar, 48, who was arrested in July 2005 and sentenced to life in prison by an Israeli court after being found guilty of murder and other crimes.
I want peace, Mr Abdullah said. I want to live a happy life, safe and peaceful, without occupation and without restrictions.
It is thought about 100 prisoners were released into the West Bank, with many others set to be deported and a small number freed into East Jerusalem.
Families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the hope of being reunited with their loved ones. A field hospital adjacent to the main hospital building was set up to receive them.
This is a very beautiful feeling - happy, a day of joy, said Muhammad Hasan Saeed Dawood, 50, who told the BBC he was there to collect his son who he says was arrested by Israeli forces at a checkpoint.
We call it a national holiday, that our detainees are being released despite the cost of the war, the martyrs, the injured, and the destruction in Gaza.
Multiple medics and family members stated that those released had faced beatings in recent days prior to their release, raising concerns about their treatment while incarcerated. Reports of insufficient food and mistreatment had been raised by NGOs, emphasizing the frailty of many of the released detainees.
The hostage and prisoner exchange is seen as part of a broader negotiation process for achieving lasting peace following a significant escalation of violence that began with Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. The release of detainees has reignited discussions about rights, justice, and humanitarian conditions in the region.
