Hamas Releases 8 Hostages, but Israel Delays Palestinian Prisoner Release
The ongoing hostages-for-prisoners swap between Israel and Hamas began Thursday, with three Israeli hostages — two female soldiers and an 80-year-old man — released in Gaza. However, the chaotic nature of the handover of two of the Israelis led to significant tensions, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay his country’s part of the exchange.
In a statement, Netanyahu’s spokesman announced that the release of more than 100 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons, scheduled for Thursday, was postponed. This decision came after Netanyahu and Israel’s defense minister demanded that the safe release of Israeli hostages be ensured before continuing the swap. “We instructed to delay the release of the terrorists scheduled to be released today until the safe exit of our hostages is guaranteed in the next few days,” the statement said.
Subsequent reports from Netanyahu’s office indicated that mediators had provided a commitment that would guarantee the safe exit of Israeli hostages in future installments of the swap. The release of Palestinian detainees, according to Israel’s Army Radio network, was expected to resume around 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. Eastern), though no specific timescale was provided for the hostages’ safe return.
The swap, part of a ceasefire agreement between the two parties, also saw the release of five Thai nationals in Gaza, a separate arrangement from the Israel-Hamas exchange.
The first Israeli hostage released on Thursday was 20-year-old Agam Berger, a female soldier from an all-female Israeli military unit. Berger, who had been taken hostage during the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, was handed over to the Red Cross after being escorted out of the ruins of the Jabalia Refugee Camp in northern Gaza. Wearing green military fatigues, Berger was later reunited with her parents in a heartwarming scene.
Seven members of Berger’s unit were taken hostage during the Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 251 others. In response, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have led to over 47,300 Palestinian casualties, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, further devastating the Palestinian territory and exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The delayed release of Palestinian prisoners reflects Israel’s ongoing concerns over the safe return of its hostages, with Netanyahu’s office emphasizing that extra care will be taken in future exchanges.
