The handover of three Israeli captives and five Thai nationals to the Red Cross began today in Gaza following the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, marking the third batch of captives to be handed over since the ceasefire took effect on January 19. In accordance with the terms of the deal, the Israeli captives were exchanged for over 110 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including those sentenced to life in prison or serving long sentences.
The handover took place today in two different locations — in Jabalia in north Gaza, and Khan Younis in the south. The Israeli captives were Agam Berger, Arbel Yehoud, and Gadi Moses.
In Jabalia, Agam Berger was given over to the Red Cross while wearing a military uniform, signifying her as one of the soldiers taken by Palestinian factions on October 7. The handover took place amid the rubble of Jabalia, which was subjected to a months-long siege and campaign of ethnic cleansing, resulting in the leveling of the entire area since early October 2024. Throngs of people were gathered around armed members of the Hamas military wing, the Qassam Brigades, cheering on and chanting in support of the resistance as the Red Cross took Berger into custody.
“The fact that the handover took place in the Jabalia refugee camp, which was subjected to one of the most unprecedented genocides in human history, is a message that our Palestinian people will remain committed to every inch of Palestinian land,” Hamas spokesperson in Gaza Hazem Qassem told Mondoweiss. “Today, our Palestinian people are achieving a new accomplishment in forcing the occupation to continue implementing the exchange deals. The people are rallying around the resistance in a message that all this war will not prevent our people from standing with the resistance, in both word and deed.”
According to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, for every military captive released by the resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, 50 Palestinian prisoners with long sentences or life sentences will be released, while for every civilian Israeli captive, 30 prisoners will be released.
In Khan Younis, next to the ruins of the house of late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in battle in Rafah last October, two more Israeli captives were handed over to the Red Cross amid large crowds of people and a military parade, which included the participation of three Palestinian factions: Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Qassam Brigades, and Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
The handover in Khan Younis was described as “chaotic” by local journalists on the ground, with large numbers of armed men affiliated with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip trying to organize the crowds of people who had come to witness the military parade. Video footage obtained by Mondoweiss showed heavy crowding around Israeli prisoner Arbel Yehuda as she was being led from the detention vehicle to Red Cross vehicles by armed Palestinian fighters.
Five Thai nationals who were taken on October 7 were also handed over to the Red Cross, bringing the total number of released captives today to 8.
Media reports described Israeli dissatisfaction with the way in which the prisoner exchange was conducted, including the crowding and the military parade in Khan Younis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the chaotic scenes as “shocking,” regarding the disorganization as “further proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
Israeli media sources initially reported the suspension of the handover of Palestinian prisoners, due to be released later in the day, citing the chaos and crowding as a threat to the safety of the Israeli hostages, despite the fact that the Red Cross received all the captives in good condition. The suspension was eventually reversed, as the Palestinian Prisoners’ Information Office announced that after following up on the matter with mediators, the Palestinian prisoners would be released at 5 p.m. today.
110 prisoners arrive in Ramallah
In Ramallah, the released Palestinian prisoners arrived in two Red Cross buses at the Ramallah municipality’s recreational center at around 6 p.m. In Beitunia, near the Israeli Ofer military prison where Palestinian prisoners were delivered to the Red Cross, Israeli forces raided the Palestinian town and forcibly dispersed crowds of Palestinians who were waiting for the arrival of prisoners. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated bullets, tear gas canisters, and stun grenades at Palestinians. No casualties were reported.
The released Palestinian prisoners, all wearing grey sweatsuits, heads shaven, and many with bruises on their heads, were welcomed in Ramallah by large crowds who carried them on their shoulders, waving Palestinian national and factional flags amid chants for Gaza, the prisoners, and in support of the resistance. The youngest of the 110 prisoners was Saif Darwish, 14. His mother, who came from Bethlehem to receive him in Ramallah, spoke to the media outside the recreational center, saying that “I don’t know how I will hug my son — as a mother or as a sister, because he is coming out as a man.”
The most prominent of the prisoners released today is Zakaria Zubeidi, the former fighter, writer, and leader imprisoned by Israel since 2019. Zubeidi, who is part of the Fatah movement and is a member of its Revolutionary Council, was one of the six Palestinians who escaped from the high-security Gilboa prison in 2019 before being recaptured. As he came out of the Red Cross bus, crowds carried Zubeidi on their shoulders chanting his name. Zubeidi’s first words to the crowds reportedly were “thanks to all those who stood by the Palestinian people in this war.”
Zubeidi was transferred to the hospital following initial checkups performed by Palestinian medics on-site at the recreational center.
Tareq S. Hajjaj
Tareq S. Hajjaj is a journalist and a member of the Palestinian Writers Union. Follow him on Twitter at @Tareqshajjaj.
Qassam Muaddi
Qassam Muaddi is the Palestine Staff Writer for Mondoweiss. Follow him on Twitter at @QassaMMuaddi.
They’re Still Slaughtering Civilians In Gaza
Drop Site News reports that more than 80 Palestinians have been killed by the IDF in Gaza since what we’re calling a “ceasefire” went into effect on the 19th of January. The majority have been in Rafah, a now completely destroyed city which the Biden administration had previously said was off limits for a major Israeli offensive.
More than 80. Imagine if 80 Israelis had been killed by Hamas during that time instead. Hell, imagine if 80 Israelis were killed in addition to the more than 80 Palestinians who’ve been killed by Israel. Does anyone believe anything resembling a “ceasefire” would continue to hold had that been the case?
Of course not. Palestinian lives are viewed as expendable, while Israelis are viewed as human beings. Killing a few Palestinians here and there is viewed by Israel as morally equivalent to swatting a few flies who are creating a nuisance.
As an example of the kind of behavior I’m talking about, on Monday Israeli forces killed a five year-old girl in an airstrike on an animal-drawn cart near the Nuseirat refugee camp, apparently for no other reason than because the cart was traveling on a road that had not been “authorized for passage”.
Those are the IDF’s own words, not mine. That’s their own public justification for bombing a cart pulled by a donkey with a small child on it.
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/theyre-still-slaughtering-civilians
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the chaotic scenes as “shocking,” regarding the disorganization as “further proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
Says the psychopath leading a terrorist state that burns babies alive and rapes innocent civilians.
Note how well these released people look compared to the prisoner/hostages coming out of Israel’s prisons and torture facilities. Also that, captured Israeli soldiers are not hostages – they are prisoners of war.
Encouraging to see Hamas engaging PR and diplomacy.
Encouraging to note they speak of a permanent end to the war.
Encouraging Hamas is welcoming a new, non-ideological, unity government.
Once again, a bittersweet day of freedom for 3 more hostages:
Yarden Bibas, 34 , from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Sadly, he returned without his wife and adorable children , who have probably been killed.
Ofer Kalderon, 53, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a dual Israeli-French citizen. He was kidnapped with his children, who were released in the earlier deal in November 2023.
Keith Siegel, 64, from Kibbutz Kfar Azza, a dual Israeli – US citizen. He was kidnapped with his wife , who was released in the previous deal.
Gradually, some details are emerging as to the cruel inhuman conditions the hostages were held under, and how they found strategies to help them survive: Arbel Yehoud was completely alone. From Oct7 ’23 to Jan 30 ’25 without human contact, except her captors. Never saw daylight, malnourished…The unfortunate Thai agricultural workers were treated especially cruelly. Spent the entire time in tunnels. ..Emily Damari (and her family) kept quiet about her gay identity . She was held part of the time in an UNRWA facility…The IDF spotters were held sometimes in tunnels , sometimes with families. They were required to cook for their captors but forbidden to eat what they had cooked. Also did baby-sitting. They tried to observe the holidays: refused to eat pittot during Passover, fasted on Yom Kippur.