As Israel celebrated the return of its living hostages with celebrations and emotional reunions on Monday, similar scenes of relief and joy played out across the Gaza Strip as buses carrying released Palestinian prisoners entered the war-ravaged region.
The releases were part of a ceasefire agreement that ended the two-year war. Under the deal, more than 1,900 Palestinian detainees were freed, including around 1,700 who Israel had held in Gaza since the conflict erupted in October 2023, following Hamas’s deadly attack, the BBC reported. The agreement stipulated that none of the prisoners released on Monday were involved in the October 7 attacks.
Amid a deluge of videos of the event on social media, one video, in particular, purportedly showing a father embracing his child is winning hearts. Shared by ANI, the now-viral video shows the Palestinian prisoner in the bus, peeping out of the window in search of his family. He further sees his son and lifts him through the window, planting kisses on his cheeks.
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The 20-point Gaza peace deal by US President Donald Trump was signed between Israel and Hamas in Egypt last week, following which Hamas was expected to release hostages held in Gaza. In contrast, Israel would release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and withdraw from the Gaza territory to a pre-agreed yellow line.
Before the release of the prisoners, Israel emphasised that it wants to prevent the celebratory scenes seen in previous prisoner exchanges, where large crowds in Ramallah welcomed returnees with Hamas flags, the BBC report stated.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, families assembled at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to reunite with their relatives. A field hospital had been established next to the main facility to receive those being released, the report added.
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