By Adam Rasgon and Aaron Boxerman
Israel on Thursday released more than 100 Palestinian prisoners — including some convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis — in exchange for hostages held in the Gaza Strip after a chaotic Hamas-led hostage handover in Gaza cast doubt on whether it would go ahead.
Hamas released eight Israeli and Thai hostages after a year in captivity, including one in a tightly choreographed ceremony in northern Gaza that went relatively smoothly. But in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the handover devolved into tumult, with the hostages surrounded by crowds of people, including some chanting support for Hamas or other armed groups.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said after that tumult that he had suspended the prisoners’ release until ceasefire mediators — which included Qatar, Egypt and the United States — secured guarantees from Hamas of “the safe exit of our hostages in the next rounds.”
The government later said that mediators had guaranteed the hostages safe passage in future releases. Not long after, buses carrying 110 Palestinian prisoners were seen leaving the Ofer prison in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian prisoners were being freed as part of the third hostage-for-prisoner swap in the ongoing ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. During the first 42 days of the agreement, Hamas pledged to free at least 33 hostages in exchange for over 1,500 Palestinians jailed by Israel.
On Thursday, large numbers of Palestinians gathered before the hostage release in Khan Younis near the home of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ leader in Gaza who was killed by Israel in October. A small white van surrounded by armed gunmen slowly pushed its way through yelling crowds of people seeking any glimpse of the captives.
The militants later carved a path through the surging crowd as many pushed their way to the front with cameras. Photos and video showed hostages walking through the chaotic crowd. In one video, Arbel Yehud, 29, one of the last living female hostages, at times appeared afraid while surrounded by rifle-wielding militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad as they made their way toward the Red Cross convoy that would take her to Israeli soldiers.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel is to release 110 Palestinian prisoners Thursday, including 32 serving life sentences for deadly attacks against Israelis. One of them is Zakaria Zubeidi, who was a prominent militant in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the second intifada. He joined a 2021 prison break before being arrested again.
Here’s what else to know:
— A closer look: The three released Israeli hostages include a young Israeli army lookout, an 80-year-old farming expert and a woman who worked as a guide at a space and technology center.
— Thai hostages: The Thai hostages were abducted during the Hamas-led attack in 2023 from four farms close to the Gaza border, where they were agricultural workers. Dozens of Thai farmworkers were kidnapped or killed during the assault, making them the second-largest group of victims in the Oct. 7 attack, after Israelis.
— Exiled prisoners: About 20 of the Palestinian prisoners are set to be expelled abroad and will not be allowed to return to their homes in the West Bank or Jerusalem, according to the Hamas-linked prisoners’ office. Expelled prisoners can head to Gaza or leave for Egypt, where discussions over their final destination are ongoing, according to the Palestinian commissioner for prisoners’ affairs.
Comments