By John Ikani
More Palestinians have regained freedom from Israeli prisons as the truce between Israel and Hamas entered its fourth day.
A total of 33 individuals were released, bringing the count to 150 Palestinians set free since the commencement of the hostage and prisoner exchange on Friday.
In reciprocation, Hamas released 51 Israeli hostages, including three-year-old twin sisters, in adherence to the agreement.
Qatar announced a two-day extension to the ceasefire with Israel and Palestine agreeing to it.
Details about the recently released Palestinians remain limited, with scant information about their identities or backgrounds.
Hamas and Qatar, key mediators in the negotiations, initially announced the release of 30 Palestinian children and three women on Monday.
The Israel Prison Service confirmed the release of 33 individuals from Ofer prison in the West Bank and a detention centre in Jerusalem, without specifying genders or ages.
By evening, reports revealed a bus carrying the freed Palestinians arriving in Ramallah, where locals awaited, some waving Hamas flags with covered faces.
Images captured emotional reunions, such as Palestinian boy Muhammad Abu Al-Humus embracing his mother and family in east Jerusalem, though the details of his detention remained unclear.
Despite the temporary halt in hostilities between Hamas and Israel, aid organizations seized the opportunity to dispatch essential supplies like food, water, fuel, and medicines to Gaza.
Hamas committed to releasing an additional 20 women and children if the two-day extension of the truce materializes.
While Israel has not explicitly commented on the extension, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office approved the inclusion of 50 female prisoners for potential release in the event of additional Israeli hostages being freed.
