Moment released Palestinians welcomed home by cheering crowd

Thousands of people gathered to cheer and welcome these released Palestinian detainees in the West Bank, as many hugged their loved ones and lifted them on their shoulders following Israeli detention.

After two years of devastating war, Hamas and Israel are carrying out the first phase of a plan for peace in Gaza with an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees.

Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees as part of the first phase of a Gaza peace plan in exchange for twenty living hostages taken from Israel during Hamas’ October 7 attack in 2023, as well as the remains of 28 deceased hostages.

The released Palestinians, who include 250 Palestinian prisoners serving lengthy sentences in Israeli jails in addition to some 1,700 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in Gaza during the war, boarded buses at Israeli prisons. They are expected to be released in the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and abroad, according to the Reuters news agency, citing an official involved.

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