Hundreds of freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been welcomed with tears and screams of joy as they were released by Israel to be reunited with their families in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The release involved about 250 prisoners who had been convicted of crimes including murder and deadly attacks against Israelis, and about 1,700 detainees from Gaza who had been held by Israel without charge.
As prisoners exited a Red Cross bus in Ramallah, many draped in traditional Keffiyeh scarves, they looked pale and gaunt, with some struggling to walk.
They were freed as part of an exchange in which 20 Israeli hostages and the remains of four deceased hostages were released by Hamas.
He is ready to embrace freedom, said Amro Abdullah, 24, who was waiting for his cousin Rashid Omar, 48, arrested in July 2005 and sentenced to life in prison by an Israeli court after being found guilty of murder and other crimes. I want peace, Mr. Abudullah said. I want to live a happy life, safe and peaceful, without occupation and without restrictions.
It is thought about 100 prisoners were released into the West Bank, with many others set to be deported and a small number freed into East Jerusalem.
In Gaza, families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the hope of being reunited with their loved ones. A field hospital was set up to receive them.
This is a very beautiful feeling - happy, a day of joy, said Muhammad Hasan Saeed Dawood, 50, who told the BBC he was there to collect his son, arrested by Israeli forces at a checkpoint.
Many families were reluctant to speak to the media, having been warned against doing so by the Israeli military. The crying and the silence, this shows you how the families are feeling, said Ibrahim Ifani, 23, a volunteer nurse for the Palestine Red Crescent Society. For all the people in Palestine, it's a deep, deep emotion, he added.
Israel made clear before the release process that it wanted to avoid the jubilant scenes that surrounded prisoners arriving in Ramallah during previous hostage deals, when large crowds waved Hamas flags. Multiple medics and family members indicated that the prisoners released in Ramallah had faced beatings in recent days prior to their release. Medics stated the prisoners' rights were violated in serious ways, including reports of inadequate food and mistreatment in detention.
This hostage and prisoner exchange is part of evolving peace negotiations sparked by the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, where much has been lost but hope for a brighter future remains alive in the hearts of many.
