Living hostages and Palestinian prisoners freed amid ceasefire

HAMAS has released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza as part of a ceasefire, pausing two years of war that pummelled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and left scores of captives in militant hands.

- WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and MELANIE LIDMAN

Palestinian prisoners are greeted after being released by Israel following the ceasefire agreement

Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the hostage transfers at public screenings across the country. In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages broke into wild cheers as television channels announced that the first group was in the hands of the Red Cross.

The freed hostages, all men, were later reunited with their families and footage released by Israeli authorities showed tearful reunions, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited.

Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately.

The Israeli military said Monday that it was escorting the bodies of four deceased captives who had been held by Hamas in Gaza. It was not immediately clear when the remaining 24 deceased captives would be handed over by Hamas.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank rejoiced as buses carrying dozens of released prisoners from Ofer Prison arrived in Beitunia, near Ramallah, as Israel began releasing more than 1,900 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal.

The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis.