Israel frees Palestinian prisoners after chaotic hostage handover

Jerusalem: Israel and Hamas exchanged a new group of hostages and prisoners Thursday in a handover that devolved into chaos as the armed militants struggled to control a chanting, jostling crowd of Palestinians trying to catch a glimpse of Israelis held captive during 15 months of war.

Hamas released a total of eight Israeli and Thai hostages in the Gaza Strip, including the tightly choreographed handover of an Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, 20, in the northern town of Jabalia.

But the tumult surrounding the release of two other Israeli hostages — Arbel Yehud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, in the city of Khan Younis — infuriated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. It led his office to announce he had suspended the release of more than 100 Palestinian prisoners as called for under the truce brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.

The episode briefly cast doubt on whether the prisoner release would happen at all.

Netanyahu blasted the “shocking scenes” of crowds yelling and jostling to get nearer to a fearful-looking Yehud and a grim-looking Moses. “This is additional proof of the inconceivable brutality of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the Israel prime minister said.

He called on the international mediators to secure guarantees from Hamas for “the safe exit of our hostages in the next rounds.” The Israeli government later relented, releasing the imprisoned Palestinians, saying that mediators had promised safe passage for hostages in future exchanges.

In a statement, Hamas said that the turnout of the crowds for the hostage handovers showed that Palestinians were determined to remain on their land. To Israelis, the chaos illustrated Hamas’ desire to humiliate and torment the hostages even as they were being freed.

In previous handovers, the militants have driven hostages into jubilant, sometimes jeering crowds before transferring them to Red Cross officials, who then handed them to Israeli officials.

In addition to three Israeli hostages, Hamas on Thursday freed five Thai agricultural workers who were among those abducted when the militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. They were Pongsak Thanna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Lamnao. The fate of one remaining Thai hostage, Nattapong Pinta, remained unclear.

The exchanges came during the first phase of a provisional ceasefire lasting 42 days, and Israel and Hamas still have to negotiate the next one.