Israel frees nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees - VIDEO

Israel has released almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees as part of a US-backed hostage swap, an IDF spokesperson has confirmed, News.Az reports, citing The Times of Israel.

The prisoners include 250 terror convicts serving one or more life sentences, as well as 1,718 Gazan detainees arrested over the course of the war.

Israel had initially said it would wait until all hostages had been released, but instead decided to free the prisoners before Hamas handed over the bodies of 28 hostages believed to be dead.

Palestinian media outlets publish footage showing the arrival of prisoners released in the hostage deal and permitted to return to the West Bank arriving in Ramallah. Palestinian Authority security forces can be seen moving people away from the area to allow buses to pass.

عاجل| الأسرى المحررون بصفقة التبادل يصلون رام الله الآن. pic.twitter.com/6Fpr1Se1hH

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News.Az