Israel releases thousands of Palestinian prisoners as part of ceasefire swap

Buses carrying released Palestinian hostages and prisoners from Ofer Prison arrived in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Monday, greeted by cheering crowds waving Palestinian flags.

Waiting crowds surrounded the vehicles and filmed on mobile phones as detainees inside smiled, made victory signs, and disembarked to embrace family members and friends.

The release forms part of a ceasefire agreement that will see approximately 1,700 detainees from Gaza and 250 Palestinian prisoners freed today.

Families of Palestinian prisoners are waiting for their release from Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah

The Hamas-run Prisoners Office confirmed in a statement that buses arrived in the West Bank city carrying freed Palestinian detainees.

Mass prisoner release under US-brokered deal

The current exchange forms part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal that also involves the full release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

The swap includes more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, comprising those held without charges in Gaza and others convicted in Israeli courts.

In prior stages of the ceasefire, smaller groups of prisoners were released in exchange for Israeli captives.

One high-profile individual released earlier in 2025 was Zakaria Zubeidi, a former militant leader who escaped from Israeli prison in 2021 via a tunnel.

Exchange forms part of multi-phase ceasefire framework

The January 2025 ceasefire framework between Israel and Hamas set out a multi-phase hostage-prisoner exchange, starting with the release of women, children and elderly hostages in return for Palestinian detainees.

Under that deal, Israel agreed to release up to 1,904 Palestinian security prisoners, including many serving life sentences, in exchange for hostages held by Hamas.

This latest wave marks a larger phase in that agreement, with both sides fulfilling their commitments towards the ceasefire.