Mixed emotions as Palestinians witness release of Israeli captives

At 8 a.m., 32-year-old Abu Yusuf, with his four-year-old son on his shoulders, joined thousands of people in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. They gathered near the rubble of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s home, awaiting the release of two Israeli captives. The crowd, waving green Hamas flags and black banners from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was filled with portraits of leaders like Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and the late founder of Islamic Jihad, Fathi Shaqaqi.

Abu Yusuf proudly reflected, “I’m proud to see these prisoners released in exchange for countless Palestinians who have been in Israeli prisons for decades.” The releases were part of a ceasefire deal following the war that began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas’s attack on Israel. The agreement, effective from January 19, 2024, saw Hamas releasing 33 Israeli captives over six weeks in exchange for up to 1,650 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Thursday’s exchange began with the release of 20-year-old Israeli soldier Agam Berger in Jabalia, followed by civilians Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses, and five Thai nationals in Khan Younis. The handover was coordinated by the Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades. Later, Israeli authorities released 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 32 serving life sentences and 30 minors.

Abu Yusuf had walked over five kilometers to reach the site and waited for hours to witness the release. “This helps ease the pain of losing my home and relatives to Israeli airstrikes,” he said. The release, he felt, showed that his sacrifices in the war had not been in vain.

As armored trucks carrying armed fighters rolled by, Abu Yusuf proudly pointed to them, saying, “The resistance fighters are still here, alive, and capable of striking back. This exchange reminds us that the occupation has failed to break us.” The crowd on Khan Younis’s Fifth Street saw the event as a “symbolic victory” in their ongoing struggle.