Israel releases 90 Palestinian prisoners under Gaza ceasefire deal

FILE: Bringing them home: The Israeli Air Force and the “Yas’ur” helicopters from the 118th Squadron (“Night Birds”), are Prepared for the Process of Receiving the Hostages Returning From the Gaza Strip. (Photo: Israeli Air Force/Facebook)

Palestinians gathered in the town of Beitunia, near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank to welcome them.

Israeli soldiers intervened by firing tear gas and sound bombs intermittently at the crowd, who were using fire to stay warm due to the cold.

As the time neared 1 a.m., a large number of Israeli military jeeps and bulldozers raided Beitunia.

After firing tear gas and sound bombs, Israeli military jeeps began to drive the Palestinians away from the area.

Shortly after the raid on Beitunia, a bus carrying Palestinian detainees under the protection of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) departed from Ofer Military Prison.

It proceeded from Beitunia towards Manara Square in Ramallah, where the Palestinian detainees would be handed over.

The 90 Palestinian detainees released included 69 women, eight male minors and 12 men sentenced for relatively minor offenses.

Israeli media reported that 78 of the Palestinians released from Ofer Military Prison were from the occupied West Bank, while 12 were from occupied East Jerusalem.

According to the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, 90 Palestinian detainees were released in exchange for three Israeli women detainees who had been freed the previous day.

The military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, delivered the three Israeli women detainees to a Red Cross team in the evening, marking the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement.