Hamas Releases Hostages Amid Chaos; Israel Postpones Prisoner Release

On January 30th, Hamas released eight hostages, including three Israelis and five Thais. However, due to the chaotic scene during the hostage release, Israel decided to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The hostages released that day included a female Israeli soldier, a 29-year-old Israeli woman, an 80-year-old Israeli man, and five Thai laborers who were working in southern Israel when they were abducted.

Hamas brought the first hostage, 20-year-old soldier Agam Berger, to the severely damaged Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, where she was handed over to the Red Cross in front of onlookers.

Berger was one of five young female soldiers kidnapped in an attack on October 7, 2023. The other four were released last Saturday.

Her family issued a statement saying, “Our daughter is strong, loyal, and brave. Now Agam and our family can begin the healing process, but it will not be complete until all the hostages are home.”

Hours later, at the handover site in the southern city of Khan Younis, the scene was chaotic. Hamas chose to deliver the hostages in front of the home of the slain former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, amid hundreds of Hamas terrorists and Islamic militants from smaller groups. Thousands gathered to watch, some even standing on the tilted roofs of bombed buildings.

Video footage showed hostage Arbel Yehoud looking shocked as she was escorted through the bustling crowd by masked gunmen, who at times had to push back onlookers.

Also released on Thursday were 80-year-old Israeli Gadi Moses and five Thai nationals.

All eight individuals have been confirmed to have been brought into Israel by the Israeli military.

Yehoud was initially scheduled to be released last Saturday but was unable to be, leading to a delay in the opening of the crossing point in northern Gaza.

Moses and Yehoud were kidnapped in an attack by Hamas in October 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed shock at the scene of the hostage handover amidst the crowd and called for international mediators to prevent similar events in the future.

According to a phased ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month, Israel was expected to release a total of 110 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday. However, an Israeli official involved in the operation stated that the bus carrying detainees had been instructed to return to prison, apparently in response to the chaotic handover.

Among the Israeli prisoners set for release were some minors and 30 people sentenced to life imprisonment for carrying out deadly attacks on Israelis. Former militant leader and theater director Zakaria Zubeidi was also among those about to be released. He had orchestrated multiple bomb attacks in Israel.

In the attack by Hamas, many foreign workers and dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken hostage. In November 2023, over 100 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire, including 23 Thais.

In the October 2023 attack, Hamas kidnapped 31 Thai nationals. Apart from the 28 already released in two batches, two have been reported as deceased, with one person’s status unknown.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that 46 Thai nationals have died in the conflicts between Israel and Hamas, including two who died while in Hamas detention.

Before the Hamas attacks in October 2023, around 30,000 Thai workers were in Israel primarily working on farms.

Following the attacks, approximately 7,000 Thais were evacuated on government-chartered flights back home, but the promise of higher wages still attracts new immigrants. The Thai ambassador to Israel mentioned that the current number of Thai workers in Israel exceeds 38,000.

In mid-January, after a year of tough negotiations, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar facilitated a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

In the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas planned to release a total of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, elderly, and critically ill or injured men in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Three male hostages were also set to be released on Saturday alongside dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel announced that Hamas confirmed the death of the eight hostages set to be released in this phase.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has largely withdrawn from Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands to return to their remaining homes, with humanitarian organizations stepping up aid efforts.

Israel noted that there are still as many as 89 hostages in Gaza, with approximately 30 presumed dead.

The ceasefire agreement calls for negotiations between Israel and Hamas for the release of the remaining hostages in the second phase, with the ceasefire to continue indefinitely. If no agreement is reached, there could be a resurgence of conflict in early March.

Within hours of the ceasefire, Hamas reasserted control over Gaza. Israel has reiterated its commitment to dismantling Hamas. A key ally of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has already called for a resumption of hostilities following the first phase of the ceasefire.

Hamas stated that the remaining hostages will not be released unless the war ends and Israel fully withdraws from Gaza.

(This article referenced reports from the Associated Press and Reuters)