Israel has begun releasing Palestinian prisoners as part of the latest swap with Hamas. A bus with inmates from the Ofer prison in the West Bank has arrived in Ramallah, Israeli media reported.
The prisoners, freed under the terms of a ceasefire deal, were greeted by a cheering crowd.
Another group left a prison in the Negev desert and was on its way to the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel reported.
The group was mostly composed of Palestinians who had been detained during the war in Gaza.
In return for the release of three hostages, a total of 183 Palestinian prisoners were to be released from Israeli prisons. Among them are 18 with life sentences.
Seven of them will be exiled abroad as part of the agreement due to their serious criminal offences. Forty-two prisoners were to return to the West Bank and three to East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that hundreds of people were waiting in Ramallah for the arrival of the prisoners.
Israeli forces had stopped families from gathering near the Ofer prison.
People watch on a large screen the release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas in the Gaza Strip at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. Hamas releases three more hostages in the Gaza Strip as part of the latest prisoner exchange with Israel, live television images show on Saturday. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
