Three more Israeli and five Thai hostages have been released by Palestinian militants from captivity and returned to Israel after being held for more than 15 months in Gaza.
The Israelis, Arbel Yehoud, 29, Agam Berger, 20, and Gadi Mozes, 80, were handed over Thursday morning to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, who transferred them to Israeli troops for the drive across the border into Israel.
Berger, an Israeli soldier, was paraded on a stage, wearing green fatigue similar to a soldier’s uniform, in the northern Gaza city of Jabalia—the scene of intense fighting and Israeli bombardment just weeks ago—before being handed over by masked Hamas gunmen to the Red Cross.
Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group in Gaza that held Yehoud and Mozes, released the two Israeli hostages in a chaotic scene with crowds of Shoving onlookers. The handover took place in front of the partially destroyed home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
The Thai hostages had been working in Israel as agricultural labourers when they were taken captive along with the others in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. The five were met by Thai government officials upon their release. Three more Thai labourers remain in captivity, along with two nationals from Nepal and Tanzania, some of whom Israel has declared dead.
In exchange for the three freed Israeli hostages, 110 Palestinian prisoners and detainees were released from Israeli jails later in the day. The release was delayed by a few hours as Israel said it was seeking reassurances from the deal’s mediators that the chaotic scenes at the release of Israeli hostages would not be repeated at future handovers.
The exchange is part of a multiphase deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar, that began Jan. 19 with a six-week ceasefire. During that time, a total of 33 of the remaining hostages in Gaza—some of whom are believed to be dead—are supposed to be returned to Israel in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
There are 82 hostages remaining in Gaza, many of whom are believed to be dead, according to Israel.