A group of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in war-torn Gaza on Saturday, greeted by jubilant families and cheering crowds celebrating their return. Their homecoming was marked by a mix of joy and sorrow after years of captivity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel would not allow Palestinians to begin returning to northern Gaza until Mr Yehoud, a civilian taken from a kibbutz in Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war, was freed.