Over 200,000 welcome prisoners in Gaza Tuesday, 18 October 2011 13:45

Palestinian prisoners react as they arrive at the Rafah Egypt-Gaza border crossing, in Rafah, Egypt, Tuesday. The buses with the prisoners had earlier left Israel for Egypt, as Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held captive for five years by Hamas, left the Gaza Strip for Israel, as part of the exchange deal. EPA/Khaled Elfiqi

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (2nd update):  More than 200,000 people gathered in Gaza City on Tuesday for a mass rally to celebrate the return of prisoners freed under a swap deal with Israel, the Hamas movement said.

"More than 200,000 people have gathered now at the Katiba (in Gaza City) to participate in the main festival welcoming the prisoners," one of the Hamas officials involved in organising the welcome rally said. (AFP)