Three more Israeli hostages were released in Gaza Thursday as the third hostages-for-prisoners swap agreed to by Israel and Hamas got underway, but the chaotic nature of the handover of two of the Israelis angered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the extent that he delayed his country’s part of the exchange until later in the day.
The first Israeli released early Thursday was female soldier Agam Berger, 20. She was handed over in a relatively orderly fashion amid the ruins of the Jabalia Refugee Camp in northern Gaza. Berger was the final hostage from an unarmed, all-female Israeli military unit that had been working to surveil Gaza.
Two other Israeli hostages released Thursday were Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, who was the oldest of the hostages. All three of the freed hostages had been transferred from Red Cross care to Israeli forces on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed.
A huge crowd had gathered in Khan Younis to witness the handover, which took place near the home of deceased Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar. Dozens of armed militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad paraded through the area and the handover of the prisoners was chaotic, with armed militants, photographers and civilians crowding around the hostages as they were moved to the waiting Red Cross vehicles.
Netanyahu released a statement condemning the “shocking scenes,” calling the crush of people around the hostages “another proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the terrorist organization Hamas.”
“I demand from the mediators to make sure that such threats will not happen again, and to guarantee the safety of our abductees,” said Netanyahu.
In addition, 5 Thai citizens were also released on Thursday: Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat and Rumnao Surasak.
Israel was due to release more than 100 Palestinian detainees from its prisons as part of Thursday’s swap, under the terms of the ongoing ceasefire, but in a statement, Netanyahu’s spokesman said he, along with the country’s defense minister, had “instructed to delay the release of the terrorists scheduled to be released today — until the safe exit of our hostages is guaranteed in the next few days.”
The release of the three people on Thursday left 82 hostages — both living and dead — still in Gaza, according to Israeli officials, including seven dual U.S. nationals: Keith Siegel, 65, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Sagui Dekel-Chen, 35, who grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut; and Edan Alexander, 19, from Tenafly, New Jersey. Four other Americans are believed to have been killed. It remains unclear when any of the Americans might be released.
VERY BAD IDEA FOR THE HOSTAGE DEAL!!!!!!!
THE REBBE WAS SCREAMING AGAINST THE HOSTAGE DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two emotions can be true at once. Anger and frustration about the terrible conditions for the deal.
Joy, relief, and love for the returning hostages and their families.
Baruch Matir Assurim.
The long term ramifications of the deal probably aren’t good, but its really in bad taste to write HORRIBLE!!!!! on an article about a fellow Jew being released from captivity and reuniting with friends and family!
Try more positivity on something that already happened and you cant change. save your soapbox speech for another day.
Agam inspired Mrs. Ruthie Sperlin to organize the huge Challah bake in Beis Rivkah back in Ellul after seeing Agam’s mother taking challah with so much emotion.
It’s so beautiful to see she was released. Never give up on the power of Mitzvos.
Baruch Hashem!
The crowds of Palestinians swarmed him and the other one also and it was dangerous. Apparently Israel made a statement that the transfer of hostages needs to be safe
hamas was trying to terrorize them before sending them back!! and they even got certificates if captivity!!! hamas should be destroyed theyr eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil!!!!
BH
I HOPE that Israel has a secret plan to obliterate hamas in some way as soon as they are able to. Hopefully this deal is a ploy to distract
The hostage named agam refused to eat meat while a hostage and refused to cook for hamas on shabbat. Her mother had been told not to be mechalel shabbat when meeting her daughter and she told the other hostage mothers to keep shabbos. The hostages were being released only on shabbos. However Hashem arranged that agam and her mother could keep shabbos and agam was released on thurs.
Their family had been secular before oct 7
Trump wants gazans out of gaza. He wants them sent to egypt and jordan. He intends to make those countries take them. Gaza is destroyed. Gazans who returned north are returning south. They want to leave gaza. This will hand israel victory
its happy and sad at the same time. hamas
Repeating the lies of PIJ and their supporters that Arbel Yehud was a soldier is wrong. She & her partner were taker hostage by terrorists on Oct 7 in IKBBUTZ NIR OZ serving no IDF or military position. This can be fact checked on any news source. The lie was made up in an attempt to release more terrorists (and, some say, to cover up on internal fighting with Hamas.) I hope this mistake will be fixed soon.