Key Points
- Hamas freed three Israeli and five Thai hostages in Gaza as part of a phased ceasefire agreement.
- The handover took place in Khan Younis, with militants passing hostages to the Red Cross in a chaotic scene.
- Israel later released 110 Palestinian detainees in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas has freed three Israeli and five Thai hostages in Gaza and Israel has released 110 Palestinian prisoners after delaying the process in anger at the swarming crowds at one of the hostage handover points.
Arbel Yehoud, 29, abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz in the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, looked fearful and struggled to walk through the crowd as armed militants handed her to the Red Cross on Thursday in a tense scene in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Another Israeli hostage, Gadi Moses, 80, was also released along with five Thai nationals working on Israeli farms near Gaza when the militants burst through the border fence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the sight of their chaotic handover was shocking and threatened death to anyone hurting hostages.
He and defence minister Israel Katz said they had ordered a delay in the release of the prisoners “until the safe exit of our hostages in the next phases is assured”.
The prime minister’s office said later that mediators had committed to ensuring the safe passage of hostages in future handovers.
Later on Thursday, buses arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah carrying some of the 110 Palestinian detainees to be freed as part of the phased agreement that halted more than 15 months of war in the coastal territory on 19 January.
Palestinian women ululated as buses carrying freed detainees arrived in Ramallah in the occupied Palestinian territory, while men chanted: “We sacrifice our souls and blood for you.”
Zakaria Zubeidi, one of the leaders of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, was the most prominent Palestinian prisoner to be freed. He escaped from prison in 2021 with three other inmates but was then captured.
Zubeidi has been known as the strongman of the West Bank city of Jenin, a hotbed of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation and the site of frequent Israeli army raids, including a major operation just a week ago.
Zakaria Zubeidi, former Jenin chief of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, reacts as the crowd greets him after being released from prison as part of an Israel-Hamas prisoner’s exchange deal. Source: EPA / Alaa Badarneh /
Palestinian health officials said at least 14 Palestinians were hurt by Israeli fire, some with live and rubber bullets, others from gas inhalation, as they gathered at the entrance to Ramallah to welcome the freed detainees.
Video footage showed Palestinians throwing stones towards occupation forces and then running away as police began firing.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
Some prisoners from East Jerusalem had arrived at their homes while others, who were due to be taken to Gaza or deported to Egypt, had yet to reach their destinations.
Earlier, in Jabalia in northern Gaza, an Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, wearing an olive green uniform, was led through a narrow alley between heavily damaged buildings and over piles of rubble before being handed to the Red Cross.
“Our daughter is strong, faithful, and brave,” a statement from her family said.
“Now Agam and our family can begin the healing process, but the recovery will not be complete until all the hostages return home.”
Israel still lists 82 captives in Gaza, with around 30 declared dead in absentia.
