Three Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals were released on Thursday in Gaza in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a process marked by scenes of chaos during the release of captives in the Palestinian territory.
This exchange is the third under the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered by international mediators and enacted on January 19 after more than 15 months of devastating war in Gaza.
Freed after nearly 16 months in captivity, the hostages were abducted during an unprecedented attack in terms of violence and scale carried out by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in the neighboring Gaza Strip.
Delayed by a few hours, the release of Palestinian detainees was initiated after the Israeli government announced it had received "guarantees" that the next releases of hostages held in Gaza would be conducted "safely."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had suspended the release of Palestinian detainees, denouncing "shocking scenes" during the release in Khan Younis (south) of Arbel Yehud, a 29-year-old civilian, and Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old farmer, German-Israelis abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel.
Their release took place amidst a noisy and overexcited crowd, under a significant deployment of masked and armed fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, near the destroyed home of Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader killed by Israel.
Images showed the frightened gaze of Arbel Yehud, escorted for long minutes through the crowd of Palestinians by a squad of fighters.
"Certificate"
"This is further proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the terrorist organization Hamas," Netanyahu said regarding the releases in Khan Younis, having previously proclaimed his intention to annihilate this movement that took power in Gaza in 2007.
The Israeli army released a video showing Gadi Moses, apparently in good health, reuniting with his family members, including his tearful daughter.
"I will do everything in my power to rebuild Nir Oz," he declared.
The first release on Thursday, that of Agam Berger, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier captured while serving near Gaza, proceeded much more calmly.
Staging her release in the ruins of the Jabalia refugee camp (north), armed Hamas fighters with green headbands displayed the young woman on a podium.
With a stern face, she was forced to salute the crowd after receiving a "gift" from her captors and a golden frame bearing the "certificate" of her release before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross and returning to Israel.
At the same time, in Tel Aviv, protesters holding portraits of the three hostages gathered at Hostages Square to celebrate these releases, shouting, crying, and embracing.
The five Thai nationals were released outside the framework of the truce agreement.
The eight former hostages are to be treated in four separate hospitals, according to authorities.
Next releases scheduled for Saturday
In exchange, Israel confirmed the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners.
Among them is Zakaria al-Zubeidi, responsible for anti-Israeli attacks and former local leader of the armed wing of Fatah, seen making a victory sign on a bus taking the released prisoners to Ramallah in the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, according to television images.
Released prisoners were also transferred to Gaza or East Jerusalem.
New releases of hostages involving three men are scheduled for Saturday, according to Israel.
On January 19 and 25, seven Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 290 Palestinians as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
During this six-week phase, 33 hostages are to be released in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinians. Israeli authorities have warned that this first group includes eight deceased hostages.
The ceasefire has allowed an influx of international aid into the war-torn Gaza Strip, besieged by Israel.
While nearly all of the 2.4 million inhabitants of the territory have been displaced by the war, hundreds of thousands have returned to northern Gaza.
During the first phase, the modalities of the second phase, aimed at the release of the remaining hostages and the definitive end of the war, are to be discussed. The final stage will focus on the reconstruction of Gaza and the return of the bodies of the last deceased hostages.
The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data.
Of the 251 people abducted, 79 are still held in Gaza, with at least 34 confirmed dead by the army.
The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation in Gaza has caused at least 47,460 deaths, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run Health Ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.
Didier Lauras, with AFP
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