Israeli hostages see family for the first time in more than a year amid ceasefire

Israel says it has released 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, after Hamas freed four female soldiers.

Hamas militants transferred four captive female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday after parading them in front of a crowd. The four smiled broadly as they waved and gave the thumbs-up from a stage in Gaza City’s Palestine Square. Militants on either side of them and a crowd of thousands watched, before they were led off to waiting Red Cross vehicles. The woman may have been acting under duress the Press Association reports.

Pictures have now been issued by the Israeli army of the soldiers reuniting with their families more than a year after being captured.

Israel then released 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees later in the day as part of the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Palestinians gathered in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah to celebrate the arrival of buses carrying the prisoners. Many waved Palestinian flags or the flags of different political factions.

Israel released 70 Palestinian prisoners into Egypt, according to Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV, which said they had arrived on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. Egypt served as a key mediator in more than a year of talks that led to the truce agreement.

Many of the 200 Palestinian prisoners set for release on Saturday are to be sent into exile, PA continues.

As the four soldiers were released, hundreds of people cheered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square where they were watching the drama unfold on a big screen television. “I’m speechless,” said Aviv Bercovich, one of the onlookers. “I had goosebumps watching them. I just want the war to end.”

Israel