Israeli hostages Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses were handed over by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to the Red Cross. Footage broadcast by Al Jazeera showed Arbel's terrified face as she could barely walk due to the immense crowd pushing the cordon of terrorists protecting her as she made her way towards the Red Cross vehicles.
The entire hostage-taking ceremony took place in an atmosphere of tension. Yehud and Moisiu arrived at the drop-off point in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, in Palestinian Islamic Jihad vehicles, which were struggling due to large crowds of militiamen and civilians.
A crowd of civilians waited outside the destroyed home of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, killed by the IDF last October. Many were waving Hamas and Islamic Jihad flags, and many others, braving the danger, climbed the bombed-out buildings and stood precariously perched in the void. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad flags are everywhere, and the space is filled with armed militia. This is the first hostage release to occur in southern Gaza.
Yehud, Moses and the five Thai hostages emerged from Palestinian Islamic Jihad vehicles in Khan Younis in southern Gaza surrounded by crowds surrounding the convoy, shouting and blowing whistles. Yehud, a 29-year-old German-Israeli hostage, was forced to walk through the crowd towards the Red Cross. This was reported by Al Jazeera showing “dramatic images of the transfer”. Moses, 80, was protected by Hamas militants from the immense pressure of the crowd pushing him closer.
The Israeli military and Shin Bet later confirmed that the two Israeli hostages and five Thai hostages had been handed over to the Red Cross and taken to a meeting point with the Israeli military inside the Gaza Strip. The IDF reported that all seven were now in its custody.
But the Israeli government sent a message of anger to Qatari mediators over the manner in which Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses were released, who were forced to move under pressure from the crowd and in chaos before being handed over to the Red Cross, calling the videos coming from Khan Younis "horror images."
"I view with great gravity the shocking images during the release of our captives. This is further evidence of the unimaginable cruelty of the terrorist organization Hamas. I demand that the mediators ensure that similar images are not repeated and guarantee the safety of the hostages. Anyone who dares to harm our hostages will face their punishment," declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (A2 Televizion)
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