The families of 90 Palestinian prisoners are anxiously waiting in the occupied West Bank for their release from Israeli prisons, following the ceasefire agreement and the release of Gaza hostages
Hundreds of people gathered in the square in the town of Beitunia, about a mile from Israel's Ofer prison, waving Palestinian flags and chanting. Diash Dara was waiting for her sister Hadil, 32, who had been held without charge for seven months. "I'm happy, I guess, a little confused about what happened in Gaza," Diash told the BBC.
"The most important thing is that they stopped the war in Gaza. Even if she wasn't released today, we would agree to that. But at least the war is over." Most of the 90 Palestinian prisoners to be released on Sunday are women and children, but about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and Gaza detainees are to be released in the first phase of the deal in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages, including the three women released by Hamas on Sunday afternoon.
One of the most prominent prisoners is Zakaria Zubaidi, the former leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades armed group in the city of Jenin, northern West Bank. The 49-year-old has served time in both Israeli and Palestinian prisons for a number of crimes, including murder.
He said he carried out an attack in 2002 in which six Israelis were killed. Zubaidi appeared in several press articles in 2021, when he escaped from an Israeli prison and was recaptured after five days.
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