The Palestinian resistance secured the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails on Thursday as part of the third phase of the first stage of the prisoner exchange deal. 

Thousands of Palestinians gathered at the Ramallah Recreational Complex in the occupied West Bank to welcome the freed detainees, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.

The Israeli occupation forces have raided al-Khalil in the southern West Bank to halt the ongoing celebrations for Palestinians freed from Israeli prisons as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

This is not the first time the occupation has attempted to disrupt such celebrations,… pic.twitter.com/gYhVGz8dpl

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 30, 2025

Among those released were 32 prisoners serving life sentences, 48 others with various sentences, and 30 minors. Some of the released prisoners are returning to the occupied West Bank and al-Quds, while others are heading to Gaza.

Notably, among those freed was Zakaria Zubeidi, one of the prisoners who liberated themselves as part of Operation Freedom Tunnel in 2021, and Mohammad Atiya Abu Warda, who was sentenced to 48 life terms and regarded as one of the most high-profile prisoners to be liberated thus far.

Zakaria al-Zubaidi, one of the heroes of the Gilboa Prison Freedom Tunnel Operation, has been released from the Israeli Ofer prison, among the third batch of Palestinian prisoners released as part of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

The list includes 110 lifers,… pic.twitter.com/i1bF3fHZbK

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) January 30, 2025

Israeli Channel 12 reported that the released prisoners also included Rashid al-Rishq, who had allegedly planned an assassination attempt on far-right Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and other operations in 2022, for which he had been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Palestinian media reported that Israeli forces prevented some families of released prisoners—who were deported—from traveling to reunite with their loved ones.

Resistance forced 'Israel's' hand

In a statement, Hamas hailed the release as a moment of "pride and honor" for the Palestinian people, emphasizing that the resistance "forced the occupation to open its prison cells" under the terms of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

"The massive reception of our freed prisoners, despite Israel's attempts to harass them and their families, sends a clear message: the prisoners’ cause is a red line, and Israel’s oppression will not deter our people from fighting until all detainees are freed and our land and holy sites are reclaimed," Hamas stated.

The movement reaffirmed its commitment to securing the release of all prisoners, vowing to "exhaust all possible means" to achieve this goal, regardless of Israeli threats or retaliation. 

As part of the third phase of the swap deal, the Palestinian resistance also handed over three Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross, in addition to five Thai workers. Israeli officials described the handover as a "complete failure" for the Israeli occupation, as the images of the transfer were broadcast worldwide, reinforcing the resistance’s ability to dictate terms in the ongoing exchange.

'Complete failure'

Ben-Gvir criticized the scenes from Gaza on Thursday, saying, "The images coming from Gaza confirm that what has happened so far was not a complete victory but a complete failure."

He further stated that "this prisoner exchange deal is unprecedented, and the Israeli government has chosen the path of submission," referring to the concessions made by the regime to secure the release of Israeli captives.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman, stated that "the images from Gaza prove that we must separate from it forever." Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also expressed concern, saying, "We are worried about the price we are paying for this deal, despite our joy at the return of the hostages."

These remarks came after footage showed large crowds gathering in Jabalia in northern Gaza and Khan Younis in the south, particularly near the home of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, as the Israeli captives were handed over.

Al Mayadeen correspondent stated that Palestinian citizens were seen waving resistance flags and carrying images of martyred Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi amid the crowds in Khan Younis.