Hamas frees 8 more hostages, Tel Aviv begins releasing Palestinians after delay
Dozens of Palestinian prisoners were released in the West Bank Thursday evening to a welcoming crowd in the latest swap for hostages held by militants in the Gaza Strip.
The prisoners released include 30 serving life sentences for deadly attacks against Israelis. Earlier in the day, militants in Gaza released eight hostages — three Israelis and five Thai nationals.
Crowds of Palestinians — the relatives and friends of released prisoners but also scores of jubilant supporters — mobbed buses carrying the prisoners, making it almost impossible for the released prisoners to step off the buses.
The released prisoners, all in grey Israeli prison sweatsuits, were hoisted immediately onto the shoulders of the Palestinians who greeted them.
Israel began releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday after eight hostages in the Gaza Strip were freed by militants earlier in the day in a sometimes chaotic process that briefly called the exchange into question and underscored the fragility of a ceasefire that began this month.
The prisoners released include 30 serving life sentences for deadly attacks against Israelis. Some are allowed to return to the occupied West Bank, while those convicted of more serious crimes are being transferred to Egypt before further deportation. Their releases began late Thursday after militants in Gaza freed three Israelis and five Thai nationals, who were working on farms in southern Israel when taken hostage more than 15 months ago.
