Bus carrying freed Palestinian prisoners arrives in Ramallah

A bus carrying a group of Palestinian prisoners released on Saturday by Israel under the Gaza ceasefire deal arrived to a cheering crowd in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, according to an AFP journalist.

Wearing traditional keffiyeh scarves, the freed prisoners were hoisted on the crowd's shoulders and hugged relatives before heading to a quick health checkup, the journalist reported.

Many in the crowd waved the yellow flags of the Palestinian Authority's Fatah party, while one prisoner kissed a baby as soon as he stepped off the bus.

A freed Palestinian prisoner is embraced after being released from an Israeli jail. Reuters

Unlike previous releases, the prisoners wore jackets rather than openly displaying their prison garb.

Earlier on Saturday, images broadcast on Israeli public television showed images of Palestinian prisoners ahead of their release wearing sweatshirts featuring the prison service logo, a Star of David, and the slogan: "We will not forget and we will not forgive."

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group had said Israel was to release 369 inmates in the latest exchange.

A freed Palestinian prisoner reacts after being released from an Israeli jail. Reuters

The inmates were freed on Saturday in exchange for three Israelis held hostage in Gaza.

Agence France-Presse