Three Israelis and five Thai citizens held in Gaza have been freed, as Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy met hostages’ relatives, reportedly telling them he was optimistic the ceasefire would hold to allow the return of all the living and the dead.
The handover on Thursday of seven hostages in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was delayed by a chaotic crowd surging towards the group, despite an escort of heavily armed militants, jostling and blocking their passage to waiting Red Cross vehicles.
Israel’s military confirmed that the Israelis Gadi Moses, 80, Arbel Yehoud, 29, and five Thai hostages – Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat and Rumnao Surasak – had all been handed over at about 1pm local time.
Agam Berger, 20, the last female soldier held in Gaza, had been released earlier from northern Gaza.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, attacked the “shocking scenes” in Khan Younis and suspended the planned release of Palestinian prisoners “until the mediators guarantee the safe exit of the hostages” in future.
Gadi Moses, 80, is escorted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters as he is handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. Photograph: Jehad Alshrafi/AP
Buses carrying Palestinian prisoners due to be freed were sent back to Israeli jails in the early afternoon, before a new release time of 5pm was announced. Later on Thursday, buses arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah carrying some of the prisoners.
It was not the first crisis in a ceasefire deal that is not yet two weeks old. Yehoud had originally been listed for release on Saturday. When four female soldiers were handed over instead, Israel accused Hamas of violating the deal and suspended plans to allow Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza.
After last-minute negotiations, Hamas confirmed Yehoud would be freed on Thursday with two other hostages and Israel opened checkpoints to northern Gaza on Monday.
Shortly after the Thursday handover of the seven hostages in southern Gaza, Trump’s envoy for the region, Steven Witkoff, made a brief visit to Hostage Square in Tel Aviv.
Crowds gather in Khan Younis for the release of Palestinian hostages as part of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel. Photograph: Haitham Imad/EPA
Many people, when they realised Witkoff was there, raced to pay personal tribute to him for brokering the ceasefire agreement. “Thank you for freeing the hostages, thank you to Mr Trump,” one shouted.
He met families of hostages briefly in a public library beside the square, assuring them he was optimistic the deal would hold, Israeli media reported, and said he was committed to bringing home the living held in Gaza and the dead.
The first stage of the ceasefire is due to last 42 days and covers the release of 33 Israeli hostages, mostly women and older men. Of the 23 still to be released as part of the first phase, Hamas says eight are dead. Under the agreement, Israel will free about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and increase aid into Gaza.
Shortly after Thursday’s handover, Hamas confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, the head of its military wing, six months after Israel announced he had been killed. It was the first statement that Hamas has released on Deif’s condition since the Israeli military said last August that he had been killed in an airstrike in southern Gaza the month before.
Witkoff was visiting Israel before negotiations on the second phase of the deal, due to start on Monday, and went from Hostage Square to hold talks with Netanyahu. The Israeli leader faces heavy pressure from far-right members of his coalition to restart the war rather than extend the ceasefire.
Trump’s envoy also visited Gaza with the Israeli military and met the four female soldiers freed on Saturday at the Israeli hospital where they were being treated.
The US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff (centre), in Tel Aviv, will hold talks with Benjamin Netanyahu. Photograph: Shir Torem/Reuters
Among those in the crowd grateful to Trump was Dani Miran, whose son Omri Miran, 47, is a hostage in Gaza. “Only one person made this happen. I want to thank Trump,” he said. His hopes of seeing his son again rested entirely on the US leader, he added.
He said that for one day he had put his own worries aside to celebrate, because after 15 months of intense campaigning, everyone held in Gaza feels like family. “I think all the time about [Omri’s return], but today I concentrate on the joy.”
Miran was part of the crowd waiting in Hostages Square to watch the releases in real time, beside a clock broadcasting a countdown of the days, hours and minutes of the hostages’ captivity.
Schoolchildren and parents pushing babies in prams mixed with adults who had taken the day off to be there for a “historic moment”, most veterans of the long campaign for a ceasefire deal.
They cheered and wept when the first footage streamed from Gaza showed Berger walking unaided. Like the four other female soldiers freed last weekend, she was dressed in military-style fatigues and put on stage for a ceremony that served as a show of the militants’ power after 15 months of war.
“She made it,” said Yahel Oren, 31, who served a decade ago at the Nahal Oz base, where Berger was captured by Hamas, and watched the video in tears. “It’s hard to think of her alone there, but at least we can count the minutes she has left.”
People in Tel Aviv gather in Hostages Square to watch the release of hostages on a giant screen. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty
Oren was part of a group campaigning for the freedom of the female “spotter” troops held in Gaza, and was wearing a T-shirt saying: “Once a spotter always a spotter.”
Attention then shifted to the south, where seven hostages were due to be freed. Shlomo Zidkiahv, 83, waved a Thai flag in solidarity with a group of Thais taken hostage while working on one of the kibbutzim that was attacked.
He carried photos of all 10 still in Gaza, as neither Hamas nor Israel had initially identified the five who would be freed. They were later named as Pongsak, Suwannakham, Watchara, Bannawat and Surasak.
The release of Moses, the first man freed in this exchange, was taken by many in the crowd as a tacit acknowledgment that the last living women held in Gaza had been released.
In a recent diplomatic breakthrough, three Israelis and five Thais have been freed from Gaza as Trump envoy meets hostages’ relatives. This development comes amidst the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, which has seen increased tensions and violence in the region.
The release of these hostages is a positive step towards de-escalating the conflict and fostering peace in the region. The involvement of a Trump envoy in securing their freedom highlights the importance of international diplomacy in resolving such complex and volatile situations.
The families of the hostages have expressed relief and gratitude for their loved ones’ safe return. This moment of joy serves as a glimmer of hope in the midst of a devastating war that has taken a toll on both Israelis and Palestinians.
As the conflict continues to unfold, it is crucial for all parties involved to prioritize dialogue and diplomacy in order to achieve a lasting peace. The release of these hostages is a small but significant step towards that goal, and we can only hope that it paves the way for further progress in resolving the Israel-Gaza war.
The relatives of the three Israeli hostages released from Gaza by Palestinian militants Hamas called on Monday for all those remaining in the territory to be freed.
Speaking at a press conference at the Sheba hospital where the three women are being treated, they gave no details on the conditions in which their relatives had been held for 471 days or on their health.
Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher were released on Sunday as part of the first round of exchanges that also saw around 90 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails.
Meirav Leshem Gonen, the mother of Romi Gonen, said: “We got our Romi back, but all families deserve the same outcome, both the living and the dead. Our hearts go out to the other families.”
“We are a people who desire peace but are ready for war when needed,” she added.
Yamit Ashkenazi meanwhile passed on a message from her sister Doron Steinbrecher.
“Everyone needs to return, until the last hostage comes home. Just as I was fortunate to return to my family, so must everyone else.”
Mandy Damari, the mother of British-Israeli Emily Damari, said her daughter was “in high spirits”.
She called for all the hostages to be released and for humanitarian aid that was going into the Gaza Strip to also go to the remaining captives.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, 91 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military has said are dead.
A further two hostages who are presumed alive have been held in Gaza since 2014 and 2015 respectively, as has the body of a soldier killed in the 2014 Gaza war. The three are also due to be released as part of the deal.
Before the press conference, the Israeli military released new footage of the moment the three freed hostages were reunited with their mothers at an Israeli military base.
In the footage, the three women are seen embracing their mothers tightly as they meet for the first time after their release.
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Relatives of the recently freed Gaza hostages are calling for the immediate release of the remaining captives held in captivity. The families of those who have been reunited with their loved ones are urging all parties involved to work towards a resolution that will bring an end to the suffering of those still being held hostage.
In a heartfelt plea, the relatives are highlighting the anguish and pain that comes with not knowing the fate of their family members. They are emphasizing the importance of compassion, empathy, and humanity in this situation, and are urging for a swift and peaceful resolution.
The families are also appealing to the international community to intervene and help facilitate the release of the remaining hostages. They are calling for solidarity and support from people all around the world to help bring an end to this ordeal.
As the world watches and waits for a resolution, the relatives of the freed Gaza hostages are standing together in unity and hope, praying for the safe return of their loved ones. They are urging for a swift and peaceful resolution to this crisis, and are calling on all parties involved to do everything in their power to bring the remaining captives home.
