Palestinians celebrate as three busloads of prisoners arrive in Gaza

Three buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal arrive in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis.

The prisoners, many wearing gray prison uniforms, are greeted by hundreds of Gazans who gathered around the buses as they approached the city’s European Hospital.

The prisoners were to undergo medical checks at the hospital before heading to their homes.

“In blood and spirit, we shall redeem you, prisoner!” chant some in the crowd as the men left the buses one by one.

Some prisoners stuck their heads out of the windows of the vehicles as they tried to spot relatives or talk to people they knew in the crowd.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club in Ramallah, 150 of the 183 detainees released on Saturday as part of the truce between Israel and Hamas were to be transferred to Gaza.

“This is a new day of victory for our people. Today, a new group of our heroes is being released, seeing freedom despite the occupation’s will,” a Hamas official who did not wish to be identified tells  AFP.

Crowds in Khan Younis warmly receive prisoners from Gaza who were released today as part of the fourth prisoner exchange with the Israeli occupation. pic.twitter.com/RDcX7ieNfI

— V PALESTINE ???????? (@V_Palestine20) February 1, 2025