Palestinians in the West Bank await the release of prisoners after the ceasefire agreement

The families of 90 Palestinian prisoners are waiting to be released from Israeli jails in the occupied West Bank as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Hundreds of people gathered in the town square of Beitunia, a mile (1.6 km) up the road from Israel’s Ofer prison, waving Palestinian flags and chanting.

Amidst the excitement and nervous anticipation Diash Dara was waiting for his sister Hadil.

The 32-year-old university administration worker has been detained without charge for seven months.

“I’m happy, I guess, a little bit confused by what happened in Gaza,” Diash told the BBC.

“The most important thing is that they stopped the war in Gaza. Even if they didn’t release us today, we would be fine. But at least the war is over.”

Most of the 90 Palestinian prisoners expected to be released on Sunday are women, including some children.

In the next six weeks, there will be more worrying days.

About 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Gaza are to be released in the first phase of the deal, in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages, including three women released by Hamas in Gaza on Sunday evening.

One of the most high-profile prisoners is Zakaria Zubaidi, the former leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades armed group north of Jenin in the West Bank.

The 49-year-old has served time in Israeli and Palestinian prisons for various crimes, including murder.

He claimed to have carried out a shooting in 2002 that killed six Israelis.

Zubaidi was also in the news in 2021 when he was recaptured after five days when he was tunneled out of an Israeli prison.