KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas militants released eight hostages on Thursday as part of the ceasefire deal in Gaza. However, the handover was chaotic, with the captives being escorted through a frenzied crowd of thousands by masked militants, sparking strong criticism from Israel.
In return, Israel had planned to release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including around 30 serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the release would be delayed until the “safe release” of hostages could be guaranteed, urging mediators to intervene.
Hamas released seven hostages in front of the destroyed home of its late leader, Yahya Sinwar, as thousands gathered around. The group labeled the move a “message of determination,” but it sparked yet another dispute, prompting U.S. and Arab mediators to rush in to salvage the ceasefire.
The truce aims to end the ongoing conflict—the deadliest and most destructive war between Israel and Hamas—and secure the release of dozens of hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that started the war.
A show of force as hostages are released
The first hostage released was 20-year-old female soldier Agam Berger, who was paraded in front of a smaller crowd in the heavily damaged Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Hours later, a chaotic scene unfolded during the handover of the other seven hostages in the southern city of Khan Younis. Hundreds of militants from Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group arrived with a convoy, and thousands of spectators gathered, some perched on the tilted rooftops of bombed buildings.
Footage showed 29-year-old hostage Arbel Yehoud looking stunned as masked militants pushed her through the crowd, with people shouting and being shoved back. Also freed were 80-year-old Israeli man Gadi Moses, and five Thai laborers—Watchara Sriaoun, 33; Pongsak Tanna, 36; Sathian Suwankam, 35; Bannawat Seathao, 27; and Surasak Lamnau, 32.
Along with Israeli civilians and soldiers, a number of foreign workers were taken during Hamas’s attack. In November 2023, twenty-three Thai nationals were among more than 100 hostages released during a weeklong ceasefire. Israel reports that three Thai nationals remain in captivity, two of whom are believed to be dead.
Yehoud had been at the heart of a dispute earlier in the week over the order in which hostages would be released. After tough negotiations, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, who brokered the ceasefire, reached an agreement to have Yehoud released alongside the others on Thursday.
Around 20 of Yehoud’s friends in southern Israel watched the tense scene unfold on live television. Some were in tears, while others covered their eyes or mouths in distress. The crowd erupted in emotion when she was handed over to the Red Cross.
Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the “shocking scenes” and urged international mediators to ensure the safety of hostages during future releases.
Ceasefire holds for now but next phase will be harder
In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas is set to release 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, older adults, and sick or wounded men, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel has confirmed that eight of the hostages to be released in this phase are deceased.
Among the prisoners to be freed is Zakaria Zubeidi, a former militant leader and theater director who was involved in a dramatic jailbreak in 2021 before being rearrested days later.
Palestinians have celebrated the release of these prisoners, who are widely regarded as heroes for their efforts to end Israel’s decades-long occupation of land they seek for a future state.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn from most of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to return to what remains of their homes and enabling humanitarian organizations to ramp up aid efforts.
The deal stipulates that Israel and Hamas will negotiate a second phase, during which Hamas would release the remaining hostages and the ceasefire would continue indefinitely. However, if no agreement is reached, the war could resume as early as March.
Israel maintains that it is still committed to destroying Hamas, despite the group regaining control of Gaza within hours of the truce. A key far-right partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has already called for the war to restart after the ceasefire’s first phase.
Hamas, on the other hand, insists it will not release the remaining hostages unless the war ends and Israel fully withdraws from Gaza.
Tens of thousands killed
Hamas began the war by sending thousands of fighters into Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting approximately 250.
In response, Israel launched an air and ground offensive that has been one of the deadliest and most destructive in decades. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 47,000 Palestinians have died, more than half of them women and children, though the ministry does not specify how many of the dead were militants.
The Israeli military claims it has killed over 17,000 fighters, though it has not provided evidence, and insists it made efforts to minimize civilian casualties. Israel attributes civilian deaths to Hamas, accusing the group of operating in densely populated areas and placing military infrastructure near civilian sites like homes, schools, and mosques.
The Israeli bombardment has left entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble, and it remains unclear how or when any rebuilding will occur. Around 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced, often multiple times, with hundreds of thousands living in overcrowded tent camps or closed schools.
