Freed Palestinian prisoners return home under Gaza ceasefire deal
Videos shared by the Palestinian news agency Wafa showed tearful reunions as families embraced their loved ones after years of separation. The release forms part of a U.S.-brokered deal that saw Israel free 250 Palestinian prisoners convicted of serious crimes, alongside around 1,700 detainees held in Gaza, 22 minors, and the bodies of 360 militants. In return, Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli hostages and later handed over the remains of 28 others killed in captivity. Buses carrying the freed Palestinians arrived in Khan Younis and Ramallah, where crowds gathered to welcome them. The exchange marks the most significant step yet in efforts to end the two-year war in Gaza, as both sides begin implementing the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
