The Israeli army says eight captives, including three Israelis and five foreign nationals, held in Gaza have been released in the third phase of a ceasefire and captive exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.
A 20-year-old Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, 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 since October 2023.
Later on Thursday, an Israeli female civilian, Arbel Yehoud, was released outside of what used to be the house of former Hamas political chief Yahya Sinwar in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Another Israeli civilian and five Thai nationals were also handed over to Red Cross officials, the Israeli army said in a tweet.
In return, Israel is due to release 110 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
People gathered at the location in Khan Younis for the release of the captives.
“Thousands of civilians – children, women, elderly people – are here to witness the scene,” he said. “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.”
Later on Thursday, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s former national security minister who resigned over the ceasefire deal, says the captives’ handover scenes in Khan Younis show 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,” he said in a statement on Telegram.
Last Saturday, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza and 200 Palestinians were released from Israeli jails as part of the agreement that halted more than 15 months of war.
Al Jazeera
