Release of Three Israelis and Five Thais Held by Hamas; 110 Palestinian Prisoners Also Freed

On Thursday, February 11, the extremist group Hamas handed over eight hostages, including three Israelis and five Thais, to the Red Cross as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel. In return, 110 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons; an action that had been delayed for hours by the Israeli Prime Minister's order but was eventually carried out. Some of the released Palestinians had been sentenced to life imprisonment or long prison terms. The most notable among them was Zakaria Zbeidi, a former commander of the 'Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades', who was the first to step off the bus in Ramallah, flashing a victory sign. The 49-year-old Zbeidi was a commander of these militants in the Jenin camp during the 'Second Intifada' from 2000 to 2005, during which time his mother was shot dead by Israeli soldiers. He gained international fame after escaping from a high-security Israeli prison in 2021 by digging a tunnel, although he and four other Palestinians who escaped with him were re-arrested five days later. Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post reported that the U.S. is working to secure the release of more Israeli hostages. According to the newspaper, Steve Witkoff, the special representative of the Trump administration in the Middle East, expressed hope during a meeting with the families of these hostages that the process of releasing hostages would continue, and efforts are underway to transfer the bodies of deceased hostages to Israel for burial. On Thursday, Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union, first handed over Agam Berger, a 20-year-old female soldier, during a ceremony in the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza. Agam Berger was one of five female soldiers taken hostage during a swift attack in mid-October 2023 at a watchtower near the Gaza border. These soldiers were unarmed at their post. Four of Berger's fellow soldiers were released the previous Saturday. However, the failure to release Israeli civilian Irbel Yehud, 29, on that Saturday raised significant concerns. Israeli officials accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement by not releasing Yehud, while Hamas officials cited 'technical' reasons for the delay and promised to release her soon. Irbel Yehud and Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old civilian, were released hours after Agam Berger in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. These two were held by the Islamic Jihad group allied with Hamas. The handover ceremony for the two took place in front of the former home of Yahya Sinwar. All three Israelis released on February 11 are also German citizens. Following this, five Thai hostages were handed over to the Red Cross. Since the beginning of the recent ceasefire, this marks the third instance of hostage exchanges for Palestinian prisoners. According to the agreement, Israel releases 30 Palestinian prisoners for each civilian hostage and 50 for each Israeli soldier. Accordingly, 110 Palestinian prisoners were scheduled to be released from Israeli prisons today. In Israel, a group of citizens and families of hostages gathered in a square in Tel Aviv to watch the release ceremony on large screens, which were installed next to a large clock showing the number of days the hostages have been held. On the other hand, the released Palestinians from Israeli prisons were greeted with cheers and celebrations by hundreds of Palestinians in front of the Ramallah sports complex. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, met with senior officials in Qatar on Thursday during his visit. According to the Islamic Republic's state news agency, IRNA, Araghchi discussed with Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, and also met with some 'senior officials' of the extremist group Hamas. Few details of these meetings have been published, and state media reported that Araghchi congratulated them on what he called the 'legendary 16-month resistance of the Palestinian people'. The 16-month war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Araghchi's 'congratulations' to the residents of Gaza come at a time when, following Israel's military response to this Hamas attack, Palestinian sources report that 47,460 residents of Gaza have been killed and 111,580 others injured. Following these events, more than two million people have been displaced, and Gaza has become a devastated area.