The freed batch is part of 200 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and long-term sentences who were released from Israeli jails today as part of the second exchange of prisoners under the ceasefire deal that went into effect on 19 January to end the 15-month Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

The freedmen raised victory signs to crowds chanting patriotic songs and waving Palestinian and Hamas flags as they emerged from the buses of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which brought them home.

AL JAZEERA: A convoy of freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Beitunia, en route to Ramallah, where they were greeted with a large public reception as part of the "Tufan al-Ahrar" prisoner exchange. pic.twitter.com/VbTyAdSpsC

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 25, 2025

The Palestinian people welcome their beloved liberated prisoners as they arrive in Ramallah, liberated in the Toufan al-Ahrar, the Flood of the Free, exchange by the Resistance pic.twitter.com/M8IOoSGej8

— Samidoun Network (@SamidounPP) January 25, 2025

Sixteen of the prisoners who were freed on Saturday were released to the Gaza Strip. At the same time, Egypt received 70 Palestinian prisoners set to be deported to countries such as Qatar, Turkey, or Egypt, as stipulated in the agreement.

Earlier on Saturday, Hamas fighters handed over four Israeli female soldiers to the ICRC in a high-profile transfer at Palestine Square in Gaza City as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The agreement is set to be implemented in three phases, though the final two stages have yet to be finalized.