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Hamas releases 8 Israeli, Thai hostages amid Gaza ceasefire; chaotic handover prompts warning from Benjamin Netanyahu
Hamas released eight hostages, including two Israelis and five Thais, amid a ceasefire with Israel. The handover in Khan Yunis led to chaos as crowds gathered, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to condemn the scenes and demand hostages' safety.
Hamas released eight more hostages from Gaza on Thursday amid an ongoing ceasefire agreement with Israel. The handover took place in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis near the now destroyed childhood home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Israeli authorities however put the consequent release of 110 Palestinian prisoners on hold following “horrific scenes” during the hostage exchange.
Hamas is slated to free 33 Israeli hostages over six week in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire agreement. Israel has also pulled its forces back from major cities and allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in war-torn Gaza.
‘Chaotic’ handover irks Israel
Chaos erupted when the seven hostages were brought for the handover as hundreds of people crowded to witness the event — with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later issuing a stern warning. The remarks came after television images showed gunmen struggling to control hundreds of Gazans gathered to witness the handover. Onlookers were also seen scrambling to take pictures of the hostages and even surrounding the Red Cross vehicles.
“I view with great severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages. This is yet another proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the Hamas terrorist organisation. I demand that the mediators ensure such horrific scenes do not recur and guarantee the safety of our hostages. Whoever dares to harm our hostages will pay the price,” he said.
Who are the seven hostages released today?
The hostages released Thursday included a female Israeli soldier, a 29-year-old Israeli woman, an 80-year-old Israeli man, and five Thai laborers who had been working in southern Israel when they were captured.
What happened during the handover?
The first hostage released on Thursday was 20-year-old Agam Berger. The Israeli soldier was paraded in front of a crowd in the heavily destroyed urban Jabaliya refugee camp before she was released.
A chaotic scene unfolded hours later during the handover of seven other hostages through the southern city of Khan Younis. Hundreds of militants from Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group arrived with a convoy ahead of the exchange. Thousands of people were also seen gathering to watch — some from the tilted rooftops of bombed-out buildings. Footage showed hostage Arbel Yehoud looking stunned as masked militants hustled her through the shouting crowd, sometimes pushing people back.
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Business NewsNewsWorldHamas releases 8 Israeli, Thai hostages amid Gaza ceasefire; chaotic handover prompts warning from Benjamin Netanyahu
First Published:30 Jan 2025, 06:05 PM IST
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