Hamas presents 'gift bags' to released Israeli captives

Hamas freed three Israeli captives while Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday.

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The Hamas resistence group has presented ‘gift bags’ to three Israeli captives, that contained photos of their time spent with the group, a picture of Gaza, and a certificate, before handing them over to the Red Cross on Sunday under the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were held in Gaza for 15 months after being abducted on October 7, 2023. Footage released by Hamas showed the three women holding the bags and appearing to smile.

These gift bags reportedly contained a completion certificate, photos of Gaza, and pictures from their captivity. The three women were seen boarding a Red Cross vehicle in seemingly good health.

 

 

 

 

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Hamas released three Israelis while Israel freed 90 Palestinians on Sunday, marking the start of a ceasefire that brought a temporary halt to the 15-month conflict that had devastated the Gaza Strip and heightened tensions across the Middle East.

The truce allowed Palestinians to return to their destroyed homes and begin rebuilding while much-needed humanitarian aid started flowing into Gaza.

In Gaza, celebrations erupted as Hamas fighters emerged from hiding, while in Ramallah, West Bank, fireworks lit up the sky as thousands gathered to welcome the freed Palestinian prisoners arriving by bus.

According to Hamas, those released included 69 women and 21 teenage boys from the West Bank and Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis gathered outside the Defense Ministry headquarters , watching a live broadcast of the moment Hamas fighters handed over three female hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his gratitude and instructed a senior commander to personally convey the nation's warm welcome to the freed hostages.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect at 11.15 AM local time (0915GMT) on Sunday after a few hours’ delay due to Israeli accusations for Hamas of delaying the release of a list of captives set to be released. It was originally scheduled to start on 8.30 AM local time.

Nearly 47,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 110,700 others injured in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli war has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.