Israel on Monday released 90 Palestinian prisoners from Ofer prison, located west of Ramallah in the West Bank, just hours after three Israeli hostages who were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza returned to Israel.
Eyewitnesses and local Palestinian sources said that several buses left Ofer prison at 1 a.m. after problems related to the verification of the name list were resolved.
The Hamas-affiliated media office of the prisoners confirmed that the release process had begun after an agreement was reached on the lists.
The statement mentioned that buses of the International Committee of the Red Cross transported prisoners, including both men and women, from Ofer prison to Palestinian Authority-controlled areas.
Hundreds of Palestinians, including the families of the prisoners, gathered near the prison to welcome the released prisoners.
Tensions increased around the prison after Israeli forces attacked several journalists and Palestinian citizens and used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Among the 90 prisoners released are women from East Jerusalem and minors under the age of 18.
The release of the prisoners is part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which came into force on Sunday.
CMG/ gnews - RoZ
Buses transporting prisoners outside Israel's Ofer military prison near Jerusalem PHOTO - Xinhua/ Jamal Awad
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