Hamas Gunmen posted three more soils on Saturday, and Israel released more than 180 Palestinian prisoners, quickly spent the latest exchange in the tense agreement on the interruption of fire and avoided Chaos that marked the drawn transfer earlier this week.
Hamas released two hostages, Yarden Bibas, 35, and Ofer Kalderon, 54, at a highly theater ceremony in Khan Younis, southern Gazi. The group then published a third hostage, Keith Siegel65-year-old American Israel, at a separate ceremony in the city of Gaza. The three of them, accompanied by the Red Cross workers, then headed to the hospitals in Israel, where they reunited with their families after 15 months in captivity.
In exchange, Israel said he had released 183 Palestinian prisoners. The buses transporting the liberated Palestine reached the city of Ramallah on the Israeli West Coast, according to a video from the scene, where they were greeted by a bunch of people. The Red Cross also brought a group of liberated prisoners to the European Hospital in Khan Younis, according to a doctor and the Palestinian Information Center for prisoners.
The Israelis watched the live hostage shows released from what became known as the “hostage square” in Tel Aviv, cheering that the three had handed them over. The relatives expressed relief and joy, as well as the sadness that their families members spent so much time in captivity.
“This moment has come 484 days too late,” said ifat Kalderon, a cousin of Mr. Kalderon, in an interview with Kan News, an Israeli public television show. “But that finally happened.”
In Khan Younis, some Gazani cried, and others were joyful when the prisoners released to the European Hospital arrived, said Saleh al-Hums, a doctor there.
Some of the released served life penalties in Israel after being convicted of involvement in deadly attacks. The Israelis view these prisoners as killer terrorists and regretted releasing. But Palestinians often see them as fighters for freedom against Israel.
“They were happy when the prisoners were coming back,” said Dr. Al-Mes, “but sad about the heavy price paid.”
More than 45,000 Gazans were killed in a devastating campaign for the bombing and ground floor of Israel, according to health officers of Gazan, who do not distinguish civilians and fighters. In the attack under the leadership of Hamas on October 7, 2023, which went to war, about 1,200 people were killed and another 250 was abducted, according to Israeli officials.
Exchange on Saturday was the fourth UA Multipantine Agreement That Israel and Hamas agreed last month. According to the agreement, Hamas has committed to release at least 33 of the 97 remaining hostages during the first six weeks, in exchange for more than 1,500 Palestinians in Israel prison. More than 30 remaining hostages are believed to be dead. Mediators hope that the agreement will lead to the end of the war, which left the wide parts of Gaza in the ruins.
According to the exchange of hostages and prisoners, another turning point was reached in the fire interruption agreement, as it was allowed to leave Gaza to Egypt through the border crossing of Rafa for the first time in almost nine months.
Reopening the transition, the main channel that connects Gaza toward the outside worldwas a central piece cease-fire agreement. The crossing closed after Israel attacked Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza in May.
However, the officials of the Gaza Ministry in Gaza said they would be able to exceed only 50 of the thousands of sick and injured people who needed treatment outside Gaza on Saturday. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, a World Health Organization Officer, said 12,000 to 14,000 people needed treatment outside Gauz for serious injuries and chronic diseases.
Quick edition of three hostages on Saturday in contrast to an angry exchange scene on Thursday, when militants fought for control crowd From the stacking of Palestinians surrounding two soils. Israel then delayed the release of more than 100 Palestinian prisoners until he said he had received guarantees that chaos would not happen again.
On Saturday, Hamas fighters holding a rifle were organized Theatrical ceremonies intended for part to display Group control in gauzedespite the death of many of his commanders.
The masked armed people set up a wide rim around both areas where Hamas brought three soils to the Red Cross. Little crowds gathered on the outskirts to watch the handover. They did not seem to press forward because Mr. Kalderon, Mr. Bibas and Mr. Siegel marched on stage with the explosion of music.
In the city of Gaza, where the militants released Mr. Siegel, the vote of Emcee he flourished over the speakers, praising Hamas’s armed wing.
Black coated militants parade Mr. Siegel, looking pale and cunning, across the stage for their cameras.
Before the exchange, the Hamas fighters stood in a formation on stage, and behind them stated that “Nazi Zionism would not win.” They kept portraits of commander Hamas killed in the war.
Hamas released Mr. Bibasa without his wife Shiri and their two children, Ariel, who was 4 years old, and Kfir, who was 9 months old when they were abducted during October 7th.
Hamas said last year that Mrs. Bibas and two children were killed in Israeli air attack, the claim that Israeli officials did not confirm. Supervision of adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said last week that the army was “seriously concerned” for their mother and children. All other children seized in the attack on October 7th were released during 2023.
The Hamas-guided video showed an upset Mrs. Bibas that he had squeezed his two children on his chest that became symbols for many Israelites from October 7th. Families with hostages and their supporters wore orange balloons and wore orange shirts in honor of Bibasa children, who had red hair.
After Mr. Bibas was released on Saturday, the Israeli government shared a video of how he reunited with his father and sister, who hugged him and kissed him.
Mr. Kalderon was greeted by his children at the hospital just in front of Tel Aviv, according to the Israeli government. In the video he shared, Mr. Kalderon’s children can be seen crying and laughing while accepting him. Two of his children were also abducted in October 7th and were released that year.
Mr. Siegel was the first double American-Israeli hostage to be published from captivity since the latest Posti took effect two weeks ago. The Israeli authorities said they believe that two more American-Israeli hostages are still alive in Gaza.
In Khan Younis, Dr. Al-Hams said that many Palestinian prisoners lost on Saturday lost weight, and several needed support for walking after withstanding difficult conditions in Israeli prisons.
“Some of them – maybe four or five – I knew personally, they also worked at the Ministry of Health,” he said in a telephone conversation. “But I struggled to recognize them.”
Among those published on Saturday was Shadi Amouri, who served multiple life sentences for his involvement in the suicide bombing of 2002, in which 17 people were killed in Israel, most of whom were out of duties. Mr. Amouri, as well as six other Palestinians who were released on Saturday, will be expelled to another country and is not allowed to return home on the west coast, according to the terms of fire.
Another Palestinian liberated on Saturday was Mohammad El Halabi, a humanitarian worker whose belief In Israel, he accused Hamas, in a funding for help in the encouragement of the real groups. His employer, the World Vision-Famous Christian Organization for help-said that an independent investigation did not find evidence of injustice, and Mr. Halabi’s family and lawyer also challenged the accusations.
The exchange on Saturday followed as the Arab nations presented the United Front against the recent invitation of President Trump for Egypt and Jordan to take over Gazana, as part of the effort to “clean” the enclave.
Egypt and Jordan immediately launched the proposal, and on Saturday, two countries were joined by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
They made a joint statement warning that any plan that encouraged “a transfer or exploitation of Palestinians from their country” would endanger stability in the region and “undermine the chances of peace and coexistence among their people.”
