KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip, January 31 ------ Eight more hostages were freed from the Gaza Strip by Hamas-led militants on Thursday in a sometimes chaotic process that briefly delayed Israel’s release of 110 Palestinian prisoners and underscored the fragility of the ceasefire that began earlier this month. The exchange of hostages for prisoners is a key part of a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas. Fifteen hostages and hundreds of prisoners have been released so far, and militants still hold dozens more hostages abducted in their Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.
Also on Thursday, Hamas confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, head of its military wing and one of the alleged masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack. Israel said six months ago he was killed in an airstrike in Gaza. Israelis rejoiced as images of the freed hostages reuniting with their families were shown live on TV — and then replayed throughout the day and night. In downtown Tel Aviv, crowds of people gathered outside the hospitals where hostages were taken to cheer — and cry — at the sight of the incoming ambulances.
Earlier, masked and armed militants freed three Israelis after first parading them through unruly crowds in Gaza as well as five Thai nationals, who were working on farms in southern Israel when the deadliest attack in the country’s history took place. There was a different joyous homecoming on the other side of the divide. Scores of Palestinians thronged the buses carrying released prisoners into the West Bank city of Ramallah. Some offered wreaths of flowers in the colors of the Palestinian flag and warm jackets to cover the men hoisted on the shoulders of supporters. Shortly before, Palestinians threw stones outside the prison and Israeli forces fired tear gas in an effort to clear the area.
Source: apnews.com
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