In pictures: Mid-East homecoming

1 of 9 Hezbollah supporters greeted the return to Lebanon of militants freed under a prisoner exchange with Israel.

2 of 9 Sheikh Obeid, a leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, was one high-profile prisoner welcomed by supporters in Beirut.

3 of 9 Also freed was senior Hezbollah member Mustafa Dirani, captured by Israel in 1994.

4 of 9 The releases appear to have boosted the position of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah among Arabs.

5 of 9 Under the swap, the remains of three Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon in 2000 were returned to Israel.

6 of 9 The flag-draped coffins arrived in Tel Aviv from Germany, where the prisoner exchange took place.

7 of 9 A kidnapped Israeli businessman, Elhanan Tannenbaum, was also freed by Hezbollah but may now face legal action.

8 of 9 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon led a memorial ceremony in Tel Aviv for the three Israeli soldiers.

9 of 9 Israel also freed about 400 Palestinians, who received a warm welcome in Gaza and the West Bank.