The airports of Sana'a and Aden were crowded Friday with relatives of prisoners who were released by the two parties to the conflict in Yemen as part of a major exchange, on a day they were eagerly awaiting and considered that it would make Eid al-Fitr, which falls next week, "two holidays."

On Friday, the process of exchanging hundreds of prisoners between the Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels began, including Saudi prisoners, to last for three days, in a step that gives impetus to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict that has been going on since 2014.

On the runway of the airport in the capital, Sana'a, which has been under the control of the rebels since 2014, hundreds of people gathered, approaching the Yemenia Airlines plane operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Yahya Abu Al-Kari said that his son Abdel-Fattah has been imprisoned for five years. He said, "My feeling is the same as the feeling of the masses who came to this place. We have two feasts, the next feast at the end of Ramadan, and today is the great feast, the day our children are released."

One by one, the passengers descended, raising their fists in the air in a clear defiance, and walked among their greeters, among whom were Houthi fighters in military fatigues and children, who threw flowers and rice at them.

Many of the released detainees were seen rushing when they saw their relatives to hug and kiss them.

At the entrance to the airport, hundreds of people, most of them sat on the sidewalks and in the shade of trees, waiting for their relatives to leave.

"We are here to receive our captives. My son has been imprisoned since 2018. For five years, I have been missing him, and my heart is thirsty to see him," Abdullah al-Hajouri told AFP.

The Houthis and the Yemeni government agreed during negotiations held in Berne last month to exchange more than 880 prisoners. Under the agreement, the Houthis will release 181 prisoners, including Saudis and Sudanese, in exchange for 706 detainees held by government forces.

Saudi Arabia intervened at the head of a military coalition in the Yemeni war to support the government, exacerbating the conflict that left hundreds of thousands dead and caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

The same atmosphere of joy dominated Aden Airport, the temporary seat of the government, to which it moved after the Houthis arrived in Sana'a. Large white buses stopped at the airport, and Houthi prisoners dressed in traditional Yemeni dress, carrying a few items in sacks or small backpacks, disembarked and queued to board a plane to Sana'a.

One of the people who came to witness the transfer of prisoners chanted that this year's Eid al-Fitr will be "sticks," waving his hand to one of the released prisoners, who smiled and responded by saying, "God willing."

Elements of the government forces were deployed to organize the operation. A number of them, wearing turbans on their heads, stood at the door of each bus while the passengers disembarked from it, and helped elderly prisoners get off, one of whom was in a wheelchair.

Males dominated the scene, and all the released men were wearing traditional Yemeni clothes, while some of them had long hair and beards.

Nasser Al-Dhalea, a relative of one of the released detainees, said, "Our feeling at these moments is indescribable, and the overwhelming joy spread throughout Yemeni society."

The released Salim Saleh Al-Jamzi, who was detained for about four years by the Houthis, said, "God willing, the families of those of our friends who are still in detention will be released, and the families of all detainees will be released."

Many, including hundreds of military personnel and the Minister of Defense in the Yemeni government, Muhsin al-Daari, came to receive the prisoners, including the former Minister of Defense, Major General Mahmoud al-Subaihi, and Major General Nasser Mansour Hadi, brother of former President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Al-Subaihi and Hadi got off the plane of the International Committee of the Red Cross, amid heavy security deployment and warm applause from those present, many of whom carried their photos.

In Sana'a, a number of those released knelt on the runway and performed prayers, while others did not hesitate to express their continued support for the rebels.

"We came out of the darkness into the light," said Mohamed Ahmed, who spent five and a half years in captivity.