Tears and joy as second batch of 39 Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons
A second batch of 39 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons have been released as part of an agreement between the Israeli government and the group Hamas.
Hundreds of people greeted the International Committee of the Red Cross bus carrying the Palestinians as it arrived in al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank.
Crowds chanted “God is Great” as the bus arrived, and several young men stood on the roof of the vehicle. Many in the crowd held Hamas flags and chanted pro-Hamas slogans.
Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation, and have celebrated their release.
The arrival of the Palestinian prisoners, six women and 33 men, has brought tears and joy as they were received by their families in the occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Their discharge came after the Hamas group released 13 Israeli captives.
Egypt, the United States and Qatar brokered a four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the exchange of 50 civilian captives for Palestinian prisoners.
![Relatives of prominent Palestinian prisoner Israa Jaabis (C) welcome her at her home in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem early on November 26, 2023, after detainees were released from Israeli jails in exchange for hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/344X2T6-highres-1701006990.jpg?fit=1170%2C780&quality=80)
![Shuruq Dwayat, left, a Palestinian prisoner released by Israel, is hugged by relatives as she arrives home in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Bahar, early Sunday Nov. 26](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AP23329837480821-1701007037.jpg?fit=1170%2C780&quality=80)
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![Released Palestinian prisoners react after leaving the Israeli military prison, Ofer, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 26](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-26T005706Z_1024831423_RC2OK4AAXILG_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-PRISONERS-1701006393.jpg?fit=1170%2C778&quality=80)
![Released Palestinian prisoners react after leaving the Israeli military prison, Ofer, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 26](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-26T012157Z_1699666163_RC2OK4AYDPJ8_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-PRISONERS-1701006413.jpg?fit=1170%2C780&quality=80)
![People react as Palestinian prisoners leave after being released from the Israeli military prison, Ofer, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 26](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-26T011044Z_1561037876_RC2OK4AA9MDF_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-PRISONERS-1701007627.jpg?fit=1170%2C784&quality=80)
![Released Palestinian prisoners react after leaving the Israeli military prison, Ofer, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 26](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/344Z2ZA-highres-1701006379.jpg?fit=1170%2C780&quality=80)
![People wave the Palestinian flag as Palestinian prisoners leave after being released from the Israeli military prison, Ofer, amid a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 26](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2023-11-26T010756Z_357179265_RC2OK4A1VUCM_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-PRISONERS-1701007609.jpg?fit=1170%2C780&quality=80)
![Palestinian former prisoner Maysoon al-Jabali (R), who was jailed in Israel since 2015, greets her family and relatives upon her arrival at her home in Al-Shawawreh village near the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem on November 26](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/344W34X-highres-1701009281.jpg?fit=1170%2C780&quality=80)