In a ceremony surrounded by masked Palestinian militants and rubble from the Gaza war, Hamas released three Israeli hostages holding U.S., Russian and Argentinian citizenships on Saturday.
The hostages were brought onto a stage, where a slogan on a large poster alluded to President Trump’s plan to transfer Gaza’s entire population to neighboring countries. “No migration except to Jerusalem,” it said.
The three hostages, flanked by Hamas gunmen and holding gift bags and Palestinian maps, gave short speeches in Hebrew calling for the ceasefire deal to continue for the release of the remaining hostages, before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Khan Younis, a city in south Gaza. Israelis gathered in a Tel Aviv square, watching the hostage release live on a large screen.
It was the sixth group of hostages freed as part of a fragile ceasefire deal that nearly collapsed this week between the Palestinian militant group and Israel.
In exchange for the released hostages, Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Among the 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed by Israel on Saturday are 36 who were serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, convicted in connection with deadly attacks against Israelis including suicide bombings in the early 2000s.
The most prominent prisoner released is Ahmed Barghouti. In Israeli prison for more than 22 years, he was convicted for coordinating deadly attacks on Israelis during the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s known as the Second Intifada. He served as the top aide of Marwan Barghouti, considered the leader of the Palestinian uprising and the most senior Palestinian prisoner in Israel.
Israel’s prison services released photos of prisoners ahead of their release, standing in rows and crouching on their knees, dressed in white sweatshirts adorned with blue Stars of David and a slogan in Arabic: “We will not forget and we will not forgive.” Israeli forces came to the homes of released prisoners in Jerusalem, prohibiting celebratory gatherings, and Palestinian medical services said several released prisoners were taken to hospitals for medical care.
