Following the release of two Israeli hostages and five Thai citizens in southern Gaza, the Israeli government expressed strong disapproval of the chaotic scenes that unfolded during the exchange. An Israeli official conveyed that the government found the images from Khan Younis to be 'not acceptable.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the situation, stating, '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 terror organization.' Netanyahu demanded that the mediators take necessary measures to prevent such distressing incidents from happening again and ensure the safety of hostages.
During the release, four Red Cross vehicles were present at the venue for over an hour as crowds gathered around. Masked militants armed with rifles transferred the hostages in groups to the Red Cross vehicles before the convoy departed the area around 1 p.m. local time.
The disarray during this exchange starkly contrasted with previous releases that had been conducted with tighter security measures in place. In those instances, crowds were kept at a distance behind a cordon. Additionally, an Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, was released earlier on Thursday in a different part of Gaza without similar incidents.
