Ninety Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons and were greeted by large crowds of family, friends and supporters as they returned to their homes in the occupied West Bank for the first time. Hamas-Israel has stopped fighting following the release of Three Israeli prisoners in Gaza.

Around 1am local time on Monday (23:00 GMT), the Red Cross buses carrying 90 Palestinian prisoners he arrived in Ramallah in the West Bank where he was mobbed by thousands of people despite warnings from the Israeli army that celebrations were not allowed.

The Palestinians who were freed were 69 women and 21 boys – some as young as 12 – from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Among them was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a leading member of the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who was held for six months in solitary confinement under “monitored detention”, which allows Israeli authorities to imprison forever without trial or court. decision.

In the heavily populated West Bank city of Ramallah, crowds carried dozens of returned prisoners on their shoulders in a show of support, while others shouted and whistled. Some of those who attended the rally carried the flags of Fatah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups.

Seven hours earlier, three Israeli women who were captured between 20s and early 30s were released in Gaza.

Bushra al-Tawil, a Palestinian journalist who was arrested in Israel in March 2024, was also among the prisoners released on Monday.

Tawil said he began his journey at 3am on Sunday morning (01:00 GMT), when he was taken to an Israeli prison before being released. In the second prison, he was placed in a group with other Palestinians awaiting release.

“Waiting was very difficult. But thank God, we were sure that we would be released at any moment,” he said.

Tawil said his father, who is also in Israeli prison, will be released soon.

“I was worried about him. He is still in prison, but I just got the good news that he will be released as part of the deal,” he added.

Amanda Abu Sharkh, 23, from Ramallah, was among hundreds of people who gathered to greet the freed prisoners.

“We came here to testify and feel how we feel, like the families of the prisoners who are being released today,” said Abu Sharkh.

“All the prisoners who are being released today feel like our relatives. They are part of us, even if they are not our brothers,” he told AFP reporters.

Muhammad, 20, said he came from Ramallah with his friends as soon as he heard that the prisoners had been released.

After his release from Israel’s Ofer prison, he expressed “great joy” at the thought of family reunification.

“I know many people in prison, there are innocent people, children and women,” he said.

The exchange of prisoners between Hamas and Israel is the largest of its kind since November 2023.

The exact number of Palestinians to be released as part of the ceasefire agreement is still unknown, with estimates ranging from around 1,000 to around 2,000.

In the first phase of the agreement, Hamas is expected to return 33 Israeli prisoners over the next 42 days – with the next release on Saturday.

The second round of ceasefire talks is due to begin in two weeks.

More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began on October 7, and nearly 90 percent of Gazans have been forcibly displaced by Israeli expulsion orders.