JERUSALEM—Hamas’s stage-managed release of Israeli hostages on Thursday was nearly derailed by an angry mob of thousands of Gazans.
In the third round of hostage releases by Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group released Agam Berger, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier, in a bizarre ceremony. Hours later, Hamas released Israeli civilians Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, and five Thai nationals into a crowd of Gazans who pushed and screamed at the hostages.
Israeli leaders condemned the chaotic handover, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “shocking” and “additional proof of the inconceivable brutality of the Hamas terrorist organization.” In protest, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz briefly threatened to delay the scheduled release of 110 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday before announcing an agreement had been reached with the ceasefire’s mediators “ensuring the safe return of our hostages” going forward, according to statements by the prime minister’s office.
The behavior of the Gazan mob is the latest reminder of the depth of support for anti-Israel terrorism in Palestinian society.
On Thursday morning, Hamas terrorists brought Berger out of a bombed-out building in northern Gaza’s Jabalia and onto a makeshift stage. In a ritual similar to the one her fellow female Israeli soldiers were subjected to during their release on Saturday, Berger wore a fake Israeli military uniform and carried a Hamas “gift bag” and framed release certificate as she waved to the assembled crowd.
A group of masked Hamas terrorists then led to her waiting Red Cross vehicles.
The moment when former hostage, Agam Berger, was handed over to the terrorist supporting Red Cross by Hamas savages pic.twitter.com/fmUCX4bAt3
— Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) January 30, 2025
Prior to Berger’s release, Red Cross representatives were seen on the stage signing documents.
Early on Thursday afternoon, hundreds of masked Hamas terrorists escorted the seven civilian hostages through a riotous crowd in Khan Younis, the hometown of Yahya Sinwar, the group’s now-dead leader and the architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel that started the Gaza war. The mob appeared to delay the hostages’ handover to the Red Cross and then their departure in the aid group’s vehicles.
Footage of Israeli hostage Gadi Moses walking through mob of violent Palestinians. There are also reports that Arbel Yehud has been transferred to the Red Cross.
Complete chaos in Gaza pic.twitter.com/NAQfwFPjp6
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) January 30, 2025
The sheer terror on the face of civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud pic.twitter.com/W0s4Qd7CW4
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) January 30, 2025
The chaotic scenes were reminiscent of those during Hamas’s first release of hostages on Jan. 19.
The Red Cross on Thursday brought all of the hostages to an Israeli military base near the border. From there, the Israeli military airlifted them to hospitals in central Israel. Hebrew media were filled with scenes of the Israeli hostages’ emotional reunions with family and friends.
Former hostage Arbel Yehoud reuniting with her family 🎗️
📸 IDF Spokesperson’s Unit pic.twitter.com/uVv87q9Sm0
— Government Press Office 🇮🇱 (@GPOIsrael) January 30, 2025
The reunion we’ve been waiting for. pic.twitter.com/84oI7et5pn
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 30, 2025
Former hostage Gabi Mozes (80) in a first picture with his loved ones. 🎗️ pic.twitter.com/p1LfB1F7Yw
— Government Press Office 🇮🇱 (@GPOIsrael) January 30, 2025
Hamas staged the scenes as part of a propaganda effort meant to signal its strength. Israel’s i24 News reported on Wednesday that Hamas’s hostage release parties were produced by a reporter with the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera network. Hamas reportedly selected the reporter, identified as Tamer Almisshal, to be “in charge of the stage, the banners, the narrative, and the idea of dressing the female soldiers in IDF uniforms.”
Government hostage coordinator Gal Hirsch said later on Thursday afternoon that Israel was moving ahead with the release of the Palestinian prisoners, including 33 serving life sentences. He also said Israel was preparing for talks on the second phase of the ceasefire, which would see Hamas release the rest of the living hostages in exchange for additional Palestinian prisoners and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Thousands of ordinary Gazans participated in the atrocities of Oct. 7, including the kidnapping of Israeli civilians. Non-combatants have also helped hold the hostages captive over the past 482 days.
Liri Albag, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier who was part of Saturday’s hostage release, recounted that as far as she could tell, everyone in Gaza was a “terrorist.”
“Dad, there are 2 million terrorists there, make no mistake,” Albag told her father, according to his account on Israel’s 103 FM earlier this week. “I sat with an 8-year-old, with 4-year-olds who cursed the Jews.”
In Israel, the mood around the hostage swap was vastly different.
Four former female hostages gathered at an Israeli hospital to welcome Berger upon her release. They affixed signs to her hospital room door reading, “we love you,” and “we waited for you.”
The four IDF lookouts were held hostage with Agam Berger made signs for the door of her hospital room. One has a psalm written out, others say “we love you,” “we waited for you.” pic.twitter.com/23BQkV840A
— Lahav Harkov 🎗️ (@LahavHarkov) January 30, 2025
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