More than thirty-six Palestinian prisoners were welcomed as heroes upon their return to the West Bank on Sunday, having been released by Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement.
The 39 young men, wearing gray prison garb, were welcomed by several hundred well-wishers in central Ramallah. The crowd hoisted the men on their shoulders. Many waved victory signs and held green Hamas flags.
The release came hours after Hamas released 17 hostages it had been holding in the Gaza Strip. It was the third of four planned swaps under a ceasefire deal that is set to expire on Monday.