“I know a lot of people in prison, there are innocent people, children and women,” he said.
The prisoners set to be released during the initial 42-day ceasefire period include many held under administrative detention, which does not require formal charges.
Others are serving life sentences for attacks that killed Israelis.
Farther in Beitunia, even bigger crowds gathered at the roundabout where the prisoners were eventually dropped off, waving Palestinian and Hamas flags, chanting slogans and filling the streets in anticipation.
‘There will be lots of crying’
An 18-year-old woman could barely contain her joy as she awaited her mother’s release.
“I’ll hug her right away — of course, I’ll hug her. At first, it’ll just be tears of joy,” she said.
“After that, she’ll tell us about her time in prison, and we’ll tell her about our lives without her. I’m sure there will be a lot of crying,” she said as she stood by her brother, sister and aunt.
Her mother, a doctor, had been arrested in January 2024 in the north of the occupied West Bank for social media activity, she said.
“They accused her of incitement because of posts she wrote on Facebook,” she said, calling the charges “ridiculous” for a middle-aged nurse and trained midwife.
Though he had been freed after being arrested with his son at the start of the war, his son remains detained and is not on the initial release list.
Oday, who preferred not to give his last name for fear of jeopardising his son’s release, said his son had been arrested for social media activity.
But he said he wanted to celebrate all the releases on Sunday night because he knows what captivity is like.
“You can’t think for yourself and for your son only,” he said, adding he was happy hostages were being released from Gaza as well.
© 2025 AFP
