Widespread celebrations erupted across the West Bank and Gaza on Monday as Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under a Gaza ceasefire agreement that secured the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The exchange, a key component of the fragile truce pausing a two-year conflict, saw 20 living Israeli hostages walk free from Gaza. Simultaneously, Israeli authorities freed the Palestinian detainees, with large crowds gathering to welcome them home.

In Beitunia, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as in Khan Younis in Gaza, throngs of people cheered the arrivals. Freed prisoners descended from International Committee of the Red Cross buses, flashing V-for-victory signs to the welcoming crowds. In Beitunia, the celebration included the traditional gesture of providing the former detainees with keffiyeh scarves, a potent symbol of nationalist pride.

The release of the prisoners, which included 250 people serving life sentences and 1,700 held without charge during the war, marked a significant moment in the temporary cessation of hostilities. While the Palestinians celebrated the return of their kin, Israeli families and friends gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where they cried out with joy and relief as news arrived that the captives were free.