scenes of celebration in the west bank, as 200 palestinians are released from israeli prisons. that prisoner release came after hamas freed four female israeli soldiers. it's the second exchange under the gaza ceasefire deal. the four israeli women have been reunited with their families and are being checked by medical teams. their story is seen as inspiring the nation. it is an immense privilege to meet these four brave women and to be part of their healing process, which is actually a part of the healing process of the entire israeli people. iam nick i am nick beake live in tel aviv where a big rally is just getting under way. the aviv where a big rally is “ust getting under way. the message from here. _ getting under way. the message from here, they _ getting under way. the message from here, they will _ getting under way. the message from here, they will not - getting under way. the message from here, they will not give - from here, they will not give up from here, they will not give up their_ from here, they will not give up theirfight until from here, they will not give up their fight until all the hostages are home. but a delay in releasing another israeli hostage has

prompted israel to halt the return of gazans to the region's bombed—out north. hello, i'm rich preston. there have been scenes ofjubiliation in israel and the west bank, after four female israeli soldiers held hostage by hamas were released, in exchange for around 200 palestinian prisoners detained by israel. the four women — three of them aged 20 and one of them 19 — were reunited with their parents at a reception point in southern israel. they were then taken by helicopter to hospital for medical assessments. meanwhile, crowds of palestinians turned out in the west bank to welcome two buses carrying detainees released from two israeli prisons. reports from egypt say 70 of the 200 prisoners have arrived in egypt — from where they'll travel

on to neighbouring countries. as part of the ceasefire deal, thousands of gaza residents were supposed to be allowed to return to the north of the strip today. but israel has so far prevented them crossing into the north until a female civilian hostage, arbel yehud, is released. israel says she should have been freed today. hamas says she will be released next week, and another armed palestinian group, islamichhad, has told the bbc it has given egyptian mediators proof she is still alive. in a moment we'll be live with our correspondents in tel aviv in israel, and in ramallah in the west bank, but first this report from our middle east correspondent lucy williamson. in a theatre of war, the theatre of victory. cheering. four israeli soldiers escorted by hamas to a specially—built stage. naama, liri, daniela and karina smiling for the cameras after 15 months in captivity,

their freedom signed moments before. in tel aviv�*s hostage square, tension broke into joy, then relief. the childhood friends of liri albag watched together as she was freed — a moment imagined many times. still unreal. when i saw liri's smile, when i saw liri's walking on her two legs, it's everything. it's everything. she's a hero. she's a fighter. and this moment, this couple of minutes, just show me how brave she is. there was joy for those crossing into gaza too today. prisoners released by israel in exchange. from inside the red cross vehicles, theirfirst

glimpse of post—war gaza, and the people who still make it home. this man's niece and nephew, running to meet him with their mother. "it's been 20 years," she said. "my brother, my heart." near gaza's coastal road today, families waited for israeli troops to leave. filmed by our cameraman there, israel doesn't allow outside journalists in to report independently. the promise that gazans could return to homes in the north delayed, as israel accused hamas of breaching the deal by not releasing civilian female hostage, arbel yehud. across the border, 15 months of waiting ended... ..in the relief of hugging a parent, holding a child.

their love and thanks, a reminder of 90 hostages still held in gaza. this is, for israel, the start of a long and precarious road home. lucy williamson, bbc news, tel aviv. let's cross live to tel aviv and speak to our middle east correspondent nick beake. we saw the pictures in that report, thejubilation earlier report, the jubilation earlier on report, thejubilation earlier on when those women were released. give us a sense of what is happening right now? welcome back to tel aviv were just a few moments ago, there was a huge cheer and that is because on the big screen here was that footage that all of us or earlier of the four soldiers being released and eventually being released and eventually being reunited with their families. there has been a real

feeling ofjubilation here feeling of jubilation here today. feeling ofjubilation here today. but also there is a different message because this is a rally that is getting under way, is a rally that is getting underway, it is a rally that is getting under way, it will last an hour also an essential message is that the remaining hostages should not be forgotten. we have got some of the families and friends of those still being detained, around 90 people. among them was michael levy. he spoke to us a bit earlier on. his younger brother was kidnapped by hamas on october seven and this is what 0ctober seven and this is what he told us about that day. 0r got there at 6:20am together with his wife eynav. they left their then two—year—old son almog at home with his grandparents, and then a few minutes before, 0r called us from inside the bomb shelter, they ran into a bomb shelter. he was completely terrified and just repeated the sentence — "mum, you don't want to know what's going on here." and a few minutes after,

a group of terrorists arrived and started throwing grenades. they sprayed the bomb shelter with bullets. they even fired an rpg into it, murdering eynav and or was kidnapped. your sister—in—law was killed, your brother taken hostage. when you see what happened today, the greatjoy of the four women being released, how does it leave you? i'd imagine conflicting emotions. very conflicting emotions. on one hand, you're happy because those families became my family, they became part of us — so i'm happy, almost as if it's my own family. but on the other hand, there are still 90 hostages back in gaza, including my brother. and you cannotjust rest and hope for the best. you have to keep fighting to get them all released. now, your brother, or, is one of the 33 hostages who are supposed to be released

in this first phase of the ceasefire. so for you, there is hope there after these 15 months of anguish? once again, on the one hand, you have a lot of hope because you finally have an end date to this nightmare. but at the same time, we remember that we are dealing with monsters. hamas will do everything they can to make us suffer and to stop this deal in any kind of excuse. and they did it before and we are afraid they will do it again. so we cannotjust be calm and hope for the best. like i said, we have to keep going until he's here, because i won't believe it's actually happening until i'll hug him with my own hands. you've been waiting for news, and actually you've come here speaking to us this evening as we wait any moment,

really, for hamas to release this list of the remaining 26 hostages due for release in this first phase. hamas is supposed to be saying whether these people are alive or dead, including your brother. i mean, an incredibly difficult moment for you. i keep saying, it's like a reality that the devil himself invented. that's how we feel. part of an evil reality show that hamas is enjoying. they are, like i said, they will do everything to make us suffer. and i hope we'll get this list soon and we'll know who's alive and who isn't. and hopefully we can put an end to it soon. your little nephew, just three and a half years old, his dad has been taken hostage, his mother was killed. people will probably want to know, how is he possibly doing at this moment?

so most of the time, he's a normal three and a half—year—old boy. he's happy. he's enjoying himself. he's doing things he isn't supposed to do, but there are a lot of moments where he misses them. when he whenever he sees a woman with a long hair with long hair, he asks if she'll pick him up because this is what his mum used to do. he keeps asking if or is really coming back. he cries when he sees parents coming to pick up their kids from kindergarten. he misses them. he misses 0r. he wants to be a normal kid. we heard about that sense of hope there earlier on from michael leavy but that hope somehow dashed earlier when a civilian hostage who was expected to be released to date was not. tell us more about

that. , , ,�* , that. yes, this is arbel yehud. she has a _ that. yes, this is arbel yehud. she has a 29-year-old - that. yes, this is arbel yehud. she has a 29-year-old civilian | she has a 29—year—old civilian and in israel, all this week in the media were spectating that she would be released. last night when hamas gave us a list of four women to be freed, she was not on it. a lot of people asking why because under this deal, civilians are supposed to be released before soldiers, women before men. so that is how it works but she was not on this list and so what israel has a state is at hamas, through not releasing her today, is basically in breach of the deal here. and as a consequence, israel has stopped hundreds of thousands of people in gaza from returning to the north, back to their homes. they were expecting to do this today. they were getting ready today. they were getting ready to make thatjourney but so far, israel has said they are not able to do that. we have had from a hamas source tonight saying that in fact, the

civilian will be released next weekend and the militant group has provided three mediators, proof of live video. we do not know whether that is enough to satisfy the israeli authorities but they will say in the coming hours that they will let these hundreds of thousands of gazans travel north to see what remains of their homes. that is one thing to watch. and we are also waiting for this list at hamas are due to provide the remaining 26 hostages in this first phase of the deal. hamas supposed to be seen whether they are alive or dead. we don't know whether that status, that bleak status, alive or dead, will be matched to those individual names. stowe still waiting for the families here, for a lot of those, that continues to go on. thank you very much. — continues to go on. thank you very much, nick— continues to go on. thank you very much, nick beake - continues to go on. thank you very much, nick beake in - continues to go on. thank you very much, nick beake in tell very much, nick beake in tel aviv. the release of the israeli

soldiers today prompted israel, under the gaza ceasefire deal, to release 200 palestinians it's been holding in detention. let's hearfrom one of them — this is rami al—nagar. he was arrested in 2015 and sentenced for membership of islamichhad, which israel and other countries including the uk and us list as a terrorist organisation. translation: to the izz l ad-din al-qassam brigade, not a single captive dreamt of becoming free. and it is the biggest deal in the history of the palestinian nation. and it is thanks to god, and then to the izz ad—din al-qassam brigade. abd al—rahman balush was another of those prisoners released today. he was sentenced for several offences, including possession of firearms, attempted murder, and contact with hostile groups. let's hearfrom his wife and his sister. translation: there is | a feeling of joy and pride on this day of victory. thank god that he has blessed us with this day after a very long wait and many years. it's a feeling of pride. 0fjoy, a feeling of victory despite all the pain.

a moment when he could have been a martyr, but praise be to god who allowed us to see him. let's go live to ramallah in the west bank, where we saw scenes ofjubilation earlier — and join our correspondent jon donnison. tell us about the scenes there earlier on when the prisoners were released.— were released. pretty chaotic scenes, were released. pretty chaotic scenes. to — were released. pretty chaotic scenes, to be _ were released. pretty chaotic scenes, to be honest, - were released. pretty chaotic| scenes, to be honest, outside the big sports complex in ramallah a few miles from the prison where many of those detainees were being held. when the buses arrived carrying about 110 prisoners who are going to be returning to their homes in the west bank, there were scales, really. just the buses mobbed by those prisons' families, supporters. the prisoners did not look in great shape, to be honest. a lot of them gaunt, with shaven heads, long beards in the grey prison tracksuits and they were hoisted onto the shoulders of their supporters to huge

cheers. you really get the sense of the division of opinion here. in israel, these men mostly regarded as terrorists. here, they are regarded as heroes for many people. regarded as heroes for many --eole. �* . , regarded as heroes for many --eole. �* ., , ., people. and it has a bit more about where _ people. and it has a bit more about where these _ people. and it has a bit more about where these prisoners | people. and it has a bit more i about where these prisoners -- about where these prisoners —— can you tell us a bit more about where these prisons are going and why? 50 about where these prisons are going and why?— about where these prisons are going and why? so 200 in total were free today. _ going and why? so 200 in total were free today. roughly - going and why? so 200 in total were free today. roughly 110, i were free today. roughly 110, 120 are coming back to the west bank or eastjerusalem. they are the ones i saw here arriving today. another 70 have already moved to egypt. they have been deported there and they are going to be transferred to neighbouring countries, including turkey and qatar. and a small number of prisoners as welcome as we saw in lucie's of what earlier, arrived back in gaza. 0f in lucie's of what earlier, arrived back in gaza. of those 200 prisoners, i2i arrived back in gaza. of those 200 prisoners, 121 were serving life sentences. some of them the multiple murder convictions, attempted murder,

in israeli courts. some on lesser sentences. some not even charge at all. the youngest person to be free today was just a 16—year—old boy. and the person who said the longest was actually jailed person who said the longest was actuallyjailed way back in 1986 it has done some 39 years in prison. 1986 it has done some 39 years in rison. ., . ., ., in prison. how much of a political _ in prison. how much of a political win _ in prison. how much of a political win is _ in prison. how much of a political win is this - in prison. how much of a political win is this the i political win is this the hamas? i political win is this the hamas?— political win is this the hamas? ~ , ., ., hamas? i think it is a win for hamas? i think it is a win for hamas especially _ hamas? i think it is a win for hamas especially here - hamas? i think it is a win for hamas especially here in - hamas? i think it is a win for hamas especially here in the west bank. basically, you cannot understate how big an issue prisoners is for palestinians here. almost every family will have a relative who at some time has been detained in israeli prison. there are thousands of palestinian presence, thousands who have been detained in the past 15 months of the war started on october seven, 2023. 1000 or

0ctober seven, 2023. 1000 or more who have been detained from gaza. so those images today of those prisoners being held aloft on people's shoulders, that is a win for hamas because it enables them to say, look, we are getting these prisoners out, we are the only legitimate resistance, as they would call it, to israel's military occupation and by comparison, their political rivals in the west bank, fatah, who have historically been more popular, they are seen as basically pretty ineffective, they failed to improve people's lives economically, they failed to andy occupation. since the war started in gaza, hamas's popularity has faded, with people say hamas brought all the suffering in gaza but here in the west bank, it has surged. and those images today, they will see that stage my there i think. see that

procedures rise further. you mentioned _ procedures rise further. you mentioned the _ procedures rise further. you mentioned the apparent conditions of some of these palestinian prisoners. what facilities are available for their health care post their time in israeli prisons? 0bviously, time in israeli prisons? obviously, there are hospitals, medicalfacilities in obviously, there are hospitals, medical facilities in the west bank. actually at the reception today when they arrived, there were a lot of ambulances on standby but everyone i saw coming out of the buses walked out of the buses before they were being hosted on people's shoulders. i do not see anyone get medical treatment or certainly not been taken off in an ambulance. it was pretty striking, actually, how unhealthy they looked, even though they were smiling. they were very thin, very god in the face, a lot of them looked like they had lost quite a lot of weight while in prison and with that shaven head, which creates a very striking image in itself —— very gaunt in the face. jan -- very gaunt in the face. jon donnison _ -- very gaunt in the face. jon

donnison there _ —— very gaunt in the face. jon donnison there for us in ramallah. for more analysis, i'm joined now by our middle east regional editor sebastian usher. it seems like the deal is going to plan. it seems like the deal is going to ian. , , , .., to plan. this is the second staue to plan. this is the second stage of— to plan. this is the second stage of the _ to plan. this is the second stage of the first - to plan. this is the second stage of the first phase i to plan. this is the second stage of the first phase so j stage of the first phase so yes, so far. there have been moments where it has looked like there have been issues. they have been surmounted. today was quick, the way it happened, essentially. much more so than last week. the passing and prisoners were not being released by now this time last sunday —— palestinian prisoners. so that has happened much more smoothly. and more difficult as well because they are being sent to different places, some to the west bank, some to gaza, and a 70 who essentially are being sent into exile, not being allowed back because exile, not