Palestinian militants on Thursday freed three Israeli hostages and five foreigners captured in the October 7, attack on Israel as the third hostage-prisoner exchange of the Gaza ceasefire got under way. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced what he called "shocking scenes" during the hostage releases which came under a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip. First to be freed was Israeli woman soldier Agam Berger, 20, handed over to International Committee of the Red Cross officials in Jabalia in the north of the Palestinian territory.
Before she was freed, footage of a sombre Berger showed her on a stage with masked Hamas members in distinctive green headbands, being prompted to wave to onlookers. It said another two Israelis and five foreigners were later handed over to the Red Cross and en route for Israel. In devastated Khan Yunis, dense crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of Yehud and Moses ahead of their release near the childhood home of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in October.
On Wednesday, the Moses family said it had "received with great excitement the wonderful news of our beloved Gadi's return. Television images had shown gunmen struggling to control hundreds of Gazans gathered to witness the handover.
A fourth exchange is scheduled for the weekend, but Hamas accused Israel on Wednesday of jeopardising the deal by holding up aid deliveries, an allegation Israel dismissed as "fake news. The ceasefire that began on January 19 hinges on the release of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas's October 7, attack, in exchange for 1, people — mostly Palestinians — in Israeli custody. Israel is to release prisoners, including 30 minors, in exchange for the three Israelis, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group said.
The truce deal has allowed truckloads of aid into the devastated Gaza Strip, where the war has created a long-running humanitarian crisis. However, senior Hamas officials accused Israel of slowing aid deliveries, with one citing key items such as fuel, tents, heavy machinery and other equipment. COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, called this "totally fake news.
