The Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas, congratulated the newly freed Palestinian prisoners and their families, describing their liberation from “Israel’s” prisons as a “bright national milestone” in the ongoing struggle for freedom and independence.

In a statement issued on Monday, Hamas said that Operation Flood of the Free represented a historic national achievement that reflects the unity of the Palestinian people and reaffirms that adherence to resistance and national rights remains the only path toward liberation, return, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The movement added that the scenes of joy among the families of freed prisoners across Gaza and the occupied West Bank filled hearts and streets alike, despite the pain and wounds left by war. Hamas described this collective celebration as “a testament to the strength and resilience of our people, unbroken by the crimes of the enemy.”

Hamas stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his “extremist gang,” including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, could not “strip our people of their joy in the resistance’s achievement through the Flood of the Free, which was baptized in blood and sacrifice, shattered their arrogance, and foiled their schemes.” The statement described the event as a key milestone in the continuous journey toward full liberation.

'Israel' violated prisoners, Resistance respected them

The movement also revealed testimonies from the released prisoners, who described “two years of the most brutal forms of physical and psychological torture,” calling their ordeal “a reflection of the occupation’s sadism and modern-day fascism.”

Hamas held international human rights and humanitarian organizations accountable for these crimes, urging immediate action to end the systematic violations against Palestinian prisoners and to guarantee their freedom.

The statement emphasized that the Palestinian Resistance has treated Israeli captives “in accordance with its Islamic, national, and humanitarian values, safeguarding their lives despite the risks,” while the Israeli occupation continues to “humiliate and torture our heroic prisoners every day.”

Concluding its statement, Hamas said the resistance “fulfilled its promise to our free prisoners, a pledge of loyalty to their sacrifices and struggle, and the liberation of detainees from the enemy’s prisons will remain at the heart of its national priorities.”

2,000 prisoners released

Palestine's Prisoners' Information Office confirmed that the first of 38 buses carrying Palestinian detainees from Gaza has departed en route to the Strip, marking a significant phase in the large-scale exchange deal underway as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

According to the media director of the Prisoners' Affairs Office, several detainees who have spent decades behind bars are among those being freed. A total of 154 prisoners will travel abroad, while others will return to their homes in the West Bank, occupied al-Quds, and Gaza.

The director noted that the occupation attempted to evade its obligations under the agreement, as it has in previous deals. However, the Palestinian Resistance insisted on confirming the agreed-upon names, including long-term detainees and those captured from Gaza. "We made improvements to the list of prisoners, especially those detained from the Gaza Strip," it added.

In Khan Younis, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that large crowds gathered to welcome the liberated detainees, with flags of Hamas and Islamic Jihad raised in celebration. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, buses carrying released detainees arrived in Ramallah, where people assembled at the Ramallah Cultural Palace to greet them.

Hamas: 'Israel' forced to accept Resistance's conditions

On another note, in a statement on Monday, Hamas highlighted the failure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military, after two years of a brutal war of extermination, to forcibly recover their captives. Hamas stressed that the occupation was ultimately forced to accept the resistance’s conditions, reiterating that the only path to returning their soldiers was through a negotiated exchange and a complete halt to the aggression.

The movement emphasized that the resistance made every effort to preserve the lives of the captives, despite ongoing attempts by what it described as the "war criminal Netanyahu and his terrorist army" to target and eliminate them. In contrast, the statement pointed out that Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails are subjected to systematic abuse, torture, and murder.

Hamas further stated that the liberation of its "heroic detainees," many of whom are serving life or long-term sentences and have spent decades behind bars, is the result of the Gaza Strip’s resilience and the bravery of the Resistance.