A plane carrying freed prisoner Ilan Grapel arrived at Ben Gurion airport on Thursday as part of a prisoner swap between Israel and Egypt.
Grapel - a dual citizen of the U.S. and Israel was met by his mother and Congressman Gary Ackerman who helped negotiate the deal. He also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netayhau.
Cairo accused the 27-year-old law student from New York has of spying and had been holding him since June.
Grapel's release comes in exchange for Israel returning 25 Egyptian prisoners -- convicted of assorted crimes including smuggling and drugs.
Fourteen-year-old Fayez in the blue shirt, one of three minors in the group, dropped to his knees to offer thanks before beginning the trip home.
Relatives of the prisoners cheered as their buses pulled up to the Taba border crossing.
Deborah Gembara, Reuters.