Three Israelis and five Thai hostages released by Hamas

Thirty Palestinians also freed as fragile Gaza ceasefire holds

- BEL TREW TOM WATLING

Hamas has handed over three Israelis and five Thai nationals in chaotic scenes at multiple locations in Gaza, as part of the latest phase of a fragile ceasefire deal.

Arbel Yehoud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, both civilians, an Israeli female soldier Agam Berger, 20, and five Thai citizens were released among massive crowds in the north and the south of the Gaza Strip. Later, they crossed into Israel where the Israelis were reunited with their families, while the Thai workers were met by members of the consulate.

Ms Berger was the first to be released in northern Gaza. Hours later, in southern Gaza in chaotic scenes that sparked uproar in Israel, huge crowds gathered at the second handover sight located at the destroyed home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, in Khan Younis. There hundreds of Palestinians swarmed heavily armed militants as they fought through the scrum to deliver a visibly shaken Ms Yehoud, 29, to Red Cross vehicles.

The releases were part of the first phase of this Israel-Hamas ceasefire, which will see 33 hostages freed for up to 1,900 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails across six weeks.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the chaos around Ms Yehoud’s handover “shocking” and temporarily suspended the release of 110 Palestinian prisoners over Hamas’s handling of the incident.

Mr Netanyahu said: “I demand that the mediators make certain that such terrible scenes do not recur, and guarantee the safety of our hostages. Whoever dares to harm our hostages will pay the price.”

He later said that he had received such a commitment and the prison releases began later yesterday afternoon.

There appeared to be no live images of Mr Moses’s release, but he was pictured later. He is among the oldest remaining hostages in Gaza. His family members told