In emotional scenes, Palestinian prisoners, released from Israeli jails following a truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, have been reuniting with their families in Gaza and the West Bank.
According to the deal agreed by Israel and Hamas, about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners are to be freed.
In Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, released prisoners recounted the hardships and sacrifices they endured during captivity, as they enjoyed emotional reunions with family members.
"My feeling is the joy of the people. We were in prisons that were like graves above the ground. But with the laughter of the people, we forgot the pain, sorrow, beatings, and humiliation — all for their happiness. A prisoner's greatest wish is to be released. So I tell you, death is easier than prison," one released Palestinian prisoner told reporters from the window of a bus as it arrived in Khan Younis in the south of Gaza Strip.
"My feelings are indescribable, but sadly, half of my family was martyred," another released prisoner on the bus added.
In the crowds that turned out to greet the released prisoners in Khan Younis, a woman was seen searching frantically for her husband who she was expecting to be released. When they finally found each other, they embraced tightly, overwhelmed with emotion.
"My feelings...... Thank God, I'm so happy, to the point that I don't even know what to do. He's my love. I'm so happy God brought my husband back safely. Thank God," she said.
The releases are a central part of the newly implemented Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which took effect on Friday.
More than two years of Israeli military operations have devastated Gaza, killing over 67,000 people and triggering famine, according to Gaza's health authorities and UN-backed food experts.
Palestinian prisoners reunite with families after release from Israeli jails
Palestinian prisoners reunite with families after release from Israeli jails
