Atta Mohammed Abdel Ghani spent 23 years in an Israeli jail. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
In short:
Three Israeli hostages were freed on Saturday, and 183 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released as a result.
What's next?
Talks will begin next week on achieving a lasting peace in Gaza, beyond the initial ceasefire that runs out in a month.
Atta Mohammed Abdel Ghani is going home with his sons for the first time.
The former Palestinian militant fathered his two youngest children with sperm smuggled out from an Israeli prison.
Now, after 23 years in jail, he can hug them and return with his wife to the family home in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank.
"This is my heaven," Abdel Ghani said upon meeting his sons for the first time. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
"God almighty created two heavens, one in the higher sky, and one here on Earth, and this is my heaven," he said, kissing his wife.
"I hope and pray to God whose name is Peace and Security too, that peace will prevail to all people of the region, to all free people of the world. That all will live in peace, safety and love. And that we will see the dove of peace flying over the skies of Palestine."
Abdel Ghani's family would not give specifics about his conviction, only saying that he was given three life sentences for fighting with one of the Palestinian brigades during the Second Intifada.
"Nobody expected this [release] to happen, never, ever. We only hoped that he will leave the prison, God forbid, as a dead body. That we will not see him alive," his brother Hakam Mohammed Abdel Ghani said.
"He changed, first his health condition deteriorated and he lost between 20 and 30 kilograms.
"His looks changed, but what relieved me is the sheer moment of joy that he went through when he hugged us."
Atta Mohammed Abdel Ghani was one of 72 prisoners serving long sentences released by Israeli authorities in exchange for three hostages held by the militant group Hamas inside Gaza.
Another 111 Gazans detained by Israel but not prosecuted were also released back to Gaza.
Vision shared on social media showed a man released from jail into Gaza, learning his entire family had been killed in the war while he was behind bars.
Palestinians recently freed from Israeli jails have alleged serious mistreatment and abysmal conditions behind bars.
Bittersweet reunions for one of the Israeli hostages
Tears were flowing in Israel, as the three hostages released by Hamas on Saturday were reunited with their families and friends.
Yarden Bibas, 35, tightly gripped his father and sister, when he arrived at the Re'im military base in southern Israel after 484 days in captivity.
Hamas said they were dead. Many Israelis don't believe them
Photo shows A woman, with a panicked expression on her face, holds two children.
He was abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, along with his wife Shiri and their two young children — Kfir, who was just nine months old at the time, and Ariel, who was four.
The relief of returning home was mixed with grief and anxiety, given there are grave fears Shiri, Kfir and Ariel are dead.
In late 2023, Hamas said the three had been killed as a result of an Israeli air strike.
Women and children are meant to be prioritised for release under the ceasefire and hostage deal, so their absence may give an indication of their fate.
Israeli Ofer Kalderon was released by Hamas fighters in Khan Younis. (AP: Abdel Kareem)
Ofer Kalderon, 54, was surrounded by his four children, as he arrived at a hospital in Ramat Gan, outside Tel Aviv on Saturday.
Two of them had also been abducted on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz, but were released during the last ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in November 2023.
Video released by the Israeli prime minister's office shows the family embracing, with Mr Kalderon heard joking with one of his sons.
Eyal Kalderon watches as his cousin is released by Hamas. (ABC News: Haidarr Jones)
"You escaped," he laughed.
"Our bush wasn't good, they found us in our hiding spots."
The third hostage freed on Saturday was Israeli-American Keith Siegel. Visibly gaunt, the 65-year-old was met by his wife and son at the Re'im base.
American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel was the third hostage released on Saturday. ( Reuters TV)
His wife Aviva Siegel was also abducted on October 7, but was released in November 2023.
Apart from a video released by Hamas in April last year, she had no knowledge of her husband's wellbeing.
Mr Siegel was surrounded by his four daughters, who were seen singing as they rushed towards him in hospital.
Many hostages not slated for release
Many Israelis will be hoping other families get to experience similar reunions in coming weeks, as more hostages are released.
But more than two-thirds of the remaining hostages are not slated for release in this initial six-week ceasefire period.
In a video message aired at the weekly rally at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, one of the first Israelis freed under the current deal pledged to campaign for every hostage to be released.
Doron Steinbrecher, who was released a fortnight ago, remains in hospital.
Yarden Bibas, 34, had been held hostage in Gaza since October 7, 2023. (AP: Abdel Kareem)
"To the families whose loved ones are still in captivity — you are not alone," she said.
"We continue to fight for you, and we will do everything — I will do everything until everyone returns home and until you can close this circle, and we're together.
"The first moment I leave here, I'll be there with a sign in hand."
Work on a lasting peace in Gaza will begin on Monday, with negotiators from Israel and Hamas beginning a new round of talks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing significant pressure on the issue from different corners of the community.
Many are demanding he do whatever it takes to extend the ceasefire and bring all the remaining hostages home.
But extreme right-wing voices, including within his own coalition government, are agitating for a return to fighting — insisting military pressure is the only way to deal with Hamas.
