Eight Israeli and Thai Hostages Freed from Gaza Amid Ceasefire Talks -

Eight more hostages, including three Israelis and five Thai nationals, have been released from Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The hostages were handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas, before being transferred to Israeli forces. Once in Israeli custody, they were safely brought back to Israel.

The release of the hostages was accompanied by chaotic scenes, highlighting the ongoing tension in the region. In exchange for the hostages, Israel also released a total of 110 Palestinians from its prisons. Among those freed were 32 individuals serving life sentences and 30 minors. The moves are part of a broader ceasefire agreement that has led to intermittent releases and exchanges, though the region remains fraught with complex political dynamics.

Israel delayed the release of hostages in response to concerns about how the captives were treated during the handover process. Despite this, the exchange continued, and on Thursday, 15 hostages were released since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19. However, 82 hostages remain in captivity.

Among the released was Israeli soldier Agam Berger, 20, who became the first to be freed on Thursday. She was led through a scene of destruction in Jabalia, Gaza, in what appeared to be a stage-managed event. Masked gunmen accompanied her, and crowds of civilians were kept at a distance by armed Hamas fighters. She was presented with a certificate before being handed over to the Red Cross.

This development highlights the ongoing complexity and intensity of the hostage exchanges, with both sides still holding significant numbers of captives.

Agam Berger, who was one of seven women from an unarmed unit of observers kidnapped on October 7, 2023, became the last of her group to be freed from Gaza. The release marked a moment of relief for her family and her unit, as crowds in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square erupted in cheers, watching her return on a big screen.

“I’m thrilled… to see her face, to see her going back to her family. It’s exciting,” said Yahel Oren, who had served in the same unit as Berger a decade ago, in a statement to the BBC.

Photos released by the Israeli military captured an emotional moment when Agam Berger was reunited with four other women from her unit, who had been freed in a previous exchange on Saturday. The images showed the young women embracing, their faces full of relief and joy.

In a statement, Agam’s family expressed their gratitude for her return but emphasized that their healing would not be complete until all hostages were safely back home.

Approximately two hours after her release, seven additional hostages were freed in Khan Younis, in the southern part of Gaza. Their release was marked by chaotic scenes as the situation on the ground remained tense, underscoring the volatility of the ongoing exchanges.

The seven hostages released later were led through chaotic scenes by armed fighters, navigating through large crowds of cheering spectators, many of whom filmed the moment on their mobile phones. The handover occurred in front of the bombed remains of the home of Yahya Sinwar, the late Hamas leader responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attacks. Sinwar was killed by Israeli troops in Rafah in October 2024.

A journalist covering the handover described the scene as chaotic, with pushing and chanting in support of Sinwar and Hamas. One woman in the crowd proudly expressed her support for Gaza’s men and resistance.

In Tel Aviv, anxiously watching the events unfold, people held Israeli flags and photos of the hostages as they awaited news. In addition to Agam Berger, the hostages freed included Israeli civilians Arbel Yehud (29) and Gadi Moses (80), along with Thai agricultural workers Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao, and Surasak Lamnao.

In response to the chaotic scenes during the release of hostages in Khan Younis, Israel temporarily paused the release of prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the “shocking scenes,” calling them further evidence of the “inconceivable brutality of the Hamas terrorist organisation.”

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office later confirmed that mediators had provided assurances that a safe exit would be guaranteed for the remaining hostages yet to be released. This sign of precariousness in the ceasefire underscores the ongoing volatility and tense situation surrounding the exchanges.

The postponement of the prisoner release marked another setback in the delicate process of reciprocal steps between Israel and Hamas under the ceasefire agreement. Previously, Israel had delayed by two days the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza. This delay followed Hamas’s failure to include Arbel Yehud in the previous round of hostage releases on January 25.

Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the capture of 251 individuals and the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, the conflict has caused devastating consequences. Israel’s 15-month military offensive in Gaza has resulted in 47,460 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Under the ceasefire, 290 Palestinian prisoners, including individuals serving long sentences for bombings and other attacks, as well as minors held without charge, have been released. Most of these individuals have returned to the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, while approximately 70 of the most serious offenders have been deported. The process of prisoner exchanges continues, though the situation remains fragile and fraught with tension.