“It’s like coming from hell to heaven, but the pain remains”: who are the 2,000 freed Palestinians?

Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinians this week as part of a large-scale prisoner swap with Hamas. In the occupied West Bank and Gaza, thousands of people waited for the return of their relatives: political prisoners, detainees and people who had disappeared without a trace during the war over the past two years. The relief was great, but open celebration was not allowed, because Israel had banned celebrations and Palestinian flags.

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