Palestinian waits to hug her father for the first time

After a delay of several hours, there were jubilant scenes here in Ramallah where around 60 Palestinian prisoners were freed from Israeli detention into the arms of their overjoyed loved ones.

Among those released and tasting freedom for the first time in 22 years was 47-year-old Hussain Nassar, who was arrested in 2003 for taking part in the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising.

There to meet him were his daughters, 22-old Hedaya and Raghad, who’s 21. Both were dressed in the striking traditional red and black dresses from Nablus, their hometown.

The younger daughter had earlier told me that it was impossible to describe living for so long without her dad.

“This is the first time I will touch him. I will hug him. I cannot express my feelings.”

Almost shaking with the excitement of meeting her father, she said “the Israelis arrested him when my mum was pregnant with me. I feel like this is the first time I will know what it’s like to have a father!”

Among the 110 Palestinian prisoners released at this stage of what is still a fragile ceasefire, were several women and children – the youngest of them 15 years old.

Some of them were accused of relatively minor offences, others had not been convicted or formally charged.

But 21 prisoners convicted of the most serious offences, including murder, were not allowed by Israel to return home to the Palestinian Territories and were exiled to Egypt or neighbouring countries.

One senior figure who was not sent into exile, despite being convicted for his involvement in the deaths of several Israelis, was Zakaria Zubeidi.

The former commander in the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades was one of several detainees carried aloft by jubilant supporters through the streets near Ramallah’s civic centre.

It was a scene, like the earlier Hamas show of strength in Gaza, that will irk many Israelis and undoubtedly lead to renewed calls from some right-wing politicians for the war against Hamas in Gaza to resume after this initial six-week phase of the ceasefire is over.

For the governor of Ramallah and El Bireh, Dr Leila Abu Ghanam, this homecoming for so many former prisoners was an occasion to celebrate.

But she had mixed emotions as Israeli military operations intensify in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza ceasefire is still under strain.

“All Palestinians are happy about the release of the prisoners but we’re sad about what is happening in the provinces at this very moment. Mothers today, despite how happy they are for the release of their children, are also sad for those mothers who have lost their homes and children.”

Today was one of very few days, while covering this intractable conflict, that I’ve seen so many happy faces among both Palestinians and Israelis.

It has been a terrible, destructive war that has shattered so many lives.

Governor Ghanam accused the Israeli government of not being interested in peace. “But we don’t lose hope,” she said, smiling. “If we had lost hope, Palestinians would have ended 75 years ago.”

The next batch of prisoner releases in exchange for Israeli hostages should happen on Saturday.