Israel has started freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire deal with Hamas, hours after the militant group released the last 20 Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip for more than two years.
Television images showed buses carrying detainees leaving Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank and heading towards Ramallah on Monday.
The move forms part of a broader agreement that will see around 1,700 Palestinians detained since October 2023, along with about 250 prisoners serving life or lengthy sentences, released in stages.
Before the convoy departed, Israeli security forces reportedly fired tear gas to control crowds gathered near the prison gates, including families, supporters, and members of the media.
Israel’s military has cautioned that any public celebrations marking the releases are banned.
The prisoner releases follow the handover of the final Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The 20 men, held captive for 738 days, were part of the 251 people abducted by Hamas during its 7 October 2023 assault, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and triggered the ongoing Gaza war.
