Hamas has released three Israeli and five Thai captives in Gaza and Israel began releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners after delaying the process after crowds swarmed one of the captive handover points.
Agam Berger, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier, was the first to be released on Thursday as she emerged from under rubble at the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, which has repeatedly been targeted by Israeli forces throughout more than 15 months of war.
Arbel Yehud, a civilian abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz in the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, looked fearful and struggled to walk through the crowd as armed fighters handed her to the Red Cross in a tense scene in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Israeli captive Gadi Moshe Mozes and five Thai captives – Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakhan, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Saethao and Surasak Rumnao, who had been working on farms near Gaza during the Hamas-led attack – were also released.
Reporting from Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said people had gathered at the location in Khan Younis where Yehud was handed over.
“Dozens of fighters [from both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad] are lined up in the area, as they prepared for the arrival of the Israeli captives along with the Red Cross. They are trying to control the situation on the ground and organise the exchange. Hamas fighters are on the rooftop of the house. Other onlookers are on the rooftops of nearby buildings,” he added
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s former national security minister who resigned from the government over the ceasefire deal, said the scene of the captives’ handover in Khan Younis showed that Israel did not achieve “a complete victory” in Gaza.
“We are happy and excited about the return of our beloved Agam, Arbel and Gadi, but the horrific images from Gaza make it clear: This is not a complete victory – this is a complete failure, in a reckless deal like no other,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement on Telegram.
Israel releases Palestinian prisoners
Later on Thursday, buses arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah carrying some of the 110 Palestinian prisoners released as part of the phased agreement that halted Israel’s war on the shattered coastal territory earlier this month.
Zakaria Zubaidi, one of the leaders of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah group, was the most prominent Palestinian prisoner to be freed. He escaped from prison in 2021 with three other inmates but was then captured.
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 released detainees.
Video footage showed Palestinians throwing stones towards police 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.
The release of the Palestinian prisoners had been briefly delayed as the Israeli prime minister criticised the chaotic scenes in Gaza when the hostages were released.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered the delay in releases “until the safe exit of our hostages in the next phases is assured”.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect on January 19 hinges on the exchange of Israeli captives held by Palestinian groups in Gaza for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Last Saturday, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza and 200 Palestinians were released from Israeli jails as part of the agreement.
On Thursday, Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on her social media accounts that she was “elated” after hearing that the five Thai captives, held in Gaza for over a year, have been released.
She added that the kingdom “deeply appreciates” the work done by Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and the United States to secure the captives’ release, and thanked Israel for taking care of them.
A total of 31 Thai nationals were taken captive during the Hamas-led attack. Twenty-three were released in 2023, and two died in May last year.
In a separate statement on Thursday, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said the five released captives would be taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
“Thailand calls for the release of all the remaining hostages including a Thai national soonest, so they can safely return to their homeland and to their beloved families,” the ministry said.
