Israel releases 90 Palestinians as part of Gaza ceasefire deal after Hamas frees three hostages

All of those released are women or minors, according to a list provided by the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs

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Two buses carrying Palestinian detainees freed from an Israeli jail were welcomed by hundreds of people cheering, chanting and honking car horns as they arrived in the occupied West Bank town of Beitunia early on Monday.

People climbed on top of the lead bus and unfurled a Hamas flag.

Members of the crowd also joined them, waving the flags of Fatah, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and several other Palestinian factions, as well as the Palestinian national flag.

Inside the bus, a handful of freed female prisoners could be seen smiling and flashing victory signs while a Red Cross staff member watched on.

Earlier, the Israel Prison Service confirmed in a statement that it had completed the first release of prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

It said the detainees "were released from Ofer prison and the Jerusalem detention centre", in a statement issued just before 1.30am on Monday.

The prisoner release, the first in the war since November 2023, followed the freeing of three women hostages by Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

According to a list provided by the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs, all of those released are women or minors. Israel detained them for what it said were offences related to Israel’s security, from throwing stones to more serious accusations such as attempted murder.

More than 230 Palestinian prisoners, who were sentenced to life imprisonment for attacks that killed Israelis, are to be exiled after their release as part of the ceasefire agreement.

Gazans celebrate as delayed ceasefire takes effect - video

Gazans celebrate as delayed ceasefire takes effect

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Israel has published a list of 734 prisoners it said would be released during the first phase of the ceasefire deal that started on Sunday.

According to the list, more than 230 prisoners, all serving life sentences for conducting or taking part in deadly attacks against Israelis, are to be permanently exiled, mainly to Qatar and Turkey.

More than 1,000 other Palestinians taken into Israeli custody since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack that led to the war are also due to be released during the initial 42-day truce.

The agreement was negotiated with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the US, aiming to end more than 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.

Two Hamas sources said Israel agreed to release 296 Palestinians sentenced to life imprisonment during the first phase of the agreement, 236 of whom are to be deported immediately after their release.

The Israeli military says that 34 of the remaining hostages in Gaza have been confirmed dead.