Crowds of cheering Palestinians greeted dozens of terrorists in the West Bank after they were released by Israel as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, AFP reported.

The Israel Prison Service said in a statement just before 1.30am that “All the terrorists were released from Ofer Prison and the Jerusalem detention center.”

They were released after three female hostages were tranferred back to Israel from the Gaza Strip after 472 days in captivity and were escorted by the IDF to reunite with their families.

AFP reported that members of the crowd climbed on the lead bus and unfurled a Palestinian flag, later being joined by others who waved the flags of the Fatah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist factions.

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Lt. Col Avichay Adraee issued a warning on X against participation in riots or armed marches supporting terrorism.

“Anyone who participates in such terrorist acts exposes himself to danger,” Adraee wrote.

Demonstrators waved the flags of Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Fatah terrorist groups (Image: Getty)

Yossi Dagan, who chairs the Shomron Regional Council (which governs the settlements in the northern part of the West Bank), expressed his concerns over the consequences of releasing terrorists into the territory.

“Releasing terrorists into [the West Bank] is a clear danger to the country. This is a dramatic and negative change on the ground,” Dagan was quoted as saying by Israel National News.

“Sadly, we are now witnessing celebrations of terror supporters in [the West Bank] and around the world,” he went on to say.

“It doesn’t just endanger the residents of [the West Bank]; it clearly endangers all citizens of Israel... The Israeli government made a terrible and difficult decision.”

Officials in the West Bank raised concerns about allowing terrorists back into the territory (Image: Getty)

Israel’s Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, on Sunday rejected a petition filed by terror attack victims which sought to block the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

“It is not our place or custom to intervene in matters of this type in which the scope of judicial review is extremely narrow,” the justices stated in their ruling.