Numerous people greeted three buses that arrived in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Saturday, carrying Palestinian prisoners of war who had been released by Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement. The city’s European Hospital was the site of hundreds of Gazans’ gathering, according to an AFP reporter. There, the released prisoners were to undergo medical examinations before being reunited with their families.
Still dressed in their gray prison uniforms, many of the inmates scanned the passengers on the bus for faces they knew. The inmates were led out one by one while the audience yelled, “In blood and spirit, we shall redeem you, prisoner!” during each release.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club in Ramallah, 150 of the 183 inmates released that day were sent to Gaza. Speaking on behalf of Hamas, an unidentified official hailed the release as a “new day of victory” for the unfortunate Palestinian people. He made a point of saying that 111 of the inmates were taken into custody after October 7, 2023, but they had no connection to the Al-Aqsa Flood attack, which was orchestrated by Hamas.
The swap of prisoners took place on the same day that Hamas freed three Israeli hostages. Through the Kerem Shalom crossing, the buses carrying the inmates entered Gaza.
