Israel releases over 600 Palestinian prisoners as part of Gaza cease-fire deal, Hamas says

Celebrations in Ramallah over release of Palestinian prisoners in ceasefire deal, 26 February 2025

Jack Khoury, Josh Breiner and Reuters report in Haaretz on  27 February 2025:

Israel released 642 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first stage of the cease-fire and hostage release deal, Hamas announced overnight into Thursday.

Palestinian and Egyptian media reported that 456 of the prisoners were transferred to Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip on Red Cross buses, 97 were released to Egypt in preparation for their deportation to other countries, and the rest were released to the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Hamas said that 151 of the released prisoners were serving life sentences or long prison terms. The remaining 491 are residents of the Gaza Strip who were arrested after October 7, 2023, including 46 women and children.

According to Palestinian media, hundreds of people in central Ramallah welcomed the prisoners released from Israel’s Ofer Prison, who were transported to the city on a Red Cross bus. Some of the released prisoners were carried on the crowd’s shoulders, dressed in green clothing and wearing keffiyehs.

Celebrations also took place in Khan Yunis for the prisoners who were released to Gaza.  Al Jazeera reported that five prisoners from East Jerusalem were released to their homes. According to Palestinian media, among those released to the city was Ahed al-Natsha, who was convicted of transporting the terrorist who carried out the suicide bombing near Jerusalem’s Bikur Cholim Hospital in 2001, in which 14 Israelis were wounded.

Al-Natsha was released to his home in the neighborhood of Beit Hanina in the northeast of East Jerusalem. In footage published in Palestinian media, he was seen exiting a police vehicle as his handcuffs were removed.

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