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The families of 90 Palestinian prisoners are waiting anxiously in the West Bank for their release from Israeli prisons as part of the agreement to end the war in Gaza and free the prisoners.
Hundreds of people packed a town square in Beitunia, about a kilometer (1.6km) from Israel’s Ofer prison, waving Palestinian flags and chanting.
Amidst the excitement and anticipation of fear, Diash Dara was waiting for his sister Hadil.
A 32-year-old university employee has been jailed for seven months without pay.
“I’m happy, I think, a little confused because of what happened in Gaza,” Diash told the BBC.
“The most important thing is that they stopped the war in Gaza. Although they were not released today, we [would] be fine with it. But the battle is over.
Most of the 90 Palestinian prisoners expected to be released on Sunday are women, as well as several children.
In the next six weeks, there will be very anxious days.
About 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and prisoners from Gaza are to be released in the first phase of the deal in exchange for 33 Israeli prisoners, including three women who were freed by Hamas in Gaza on Sunday afternoon.
One of the most prominent prisoners is Zakaria Zubaidi, the former leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
The 49-year-old spent time in both Israeli and Palestinian prisons for several crimes, including murder.
He also claimed that he carried out attacks in 2002 in which six Israelis were killed.
Zubaidi was in the news again in 2021, when he was released from an Israeli prison before being arrested again five days later.
