IBDIR, Jordan — A Jordanian soldier who killed seven Israeli schoolgirls in a 1997 shooting rampage was unrepentant after his release from prison Sunday, lashing out at Israelis with harshly derogatory remarks.

Ahmed Daqamseh, who spent 20 years in prison, was given a rousing welcome in his home village in northern Jordan after his release. Chanting supporters kissed him on the cheek and raised a photo of him with the caption, “Welcome to the hero Daqamseh.”

Daqamseh opened fire on a group of Israeli students at the scenic “Island of Peace” border post in March 1997, killing seven and wounding seven.

A Jordanian military court deemed Daqamseh mentally unstable and sentenced him to life in prison, rather than imposing the death penalty. Jordan had announced several days ago that Daqamseh would be released this week, after completing his term. In Jordan, prisoners who receive life sentences can be released after 20 years.

Upon arriving in his hometown, Daqamseh expressed no regrets, telling a reporter that Israelis are “human garbage.”

Israel’s government had no comment Sunday.

Israel and Jordan cooperate closely on security matters, including in the battle against Islamic extremism, even if their 1994 peace treaty remains widely unpopular in Jordan where many residents have Palestinian roots.

After the shooting, Jordan’s King Hussein — the late father of current King Abdullah II — rushed to Israel and paid condolence visits to the girls’ families, a gesture that touched many Israelis at the time.

Daqamseh was released from prison before dawn Sunday.

By Sunday afternoon, he was receiving well-wishers in his clan’s meeting hall in the village of Ibdir, about 75 miles north of the capital, Amman.

Jordanian security forces set up checkpoints along the access road to the village, preventing journalists from entering with cameras.

Keren Ofri Mizrachi, one of the girls Daqamseh shot and wounded in the attack, said his release from prison was difficult for her.

She told Israel’s Channel 10 TV how he shot her four times from close range while she was trying to escape. Her twin sister was also shot and wounded.

“I saw the look of murder in his eyes,” she said, adding that his release had brought memories flooding back. It feels like being “wounded again.”

But, she said: “I have chosen to live. I won’t allow anybody or anything in the world break me.”