Hamas has published eight hostages, including three Israelis and five Thai, Thursday as part of an exchange of hostages for prisoner, more than a year after being caught in the attack by Hamas against the South of Israel on October 7, 2023.
Agam Berger, an Israeli army soldier, was first released during a very choreographed ceremony in northern Gaza. A second release of hostages in the south of Gaza went down to chaos while the crowds pushed forward to try to have them.
The release of the hostages is part of a 42-day ceasefire agreement which entered into force this month, interrupting the fighting between Israel and Hamas. Hamas has agreed to gradually release 33 of the nearly 100 hostages in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and a partial Israeli withdrawal.
Here is a more in -depth examination of the Israelis published Thursday.
Agam Shepherd
Ms. Berger was 19 years old and was recently assigned as a goalkeeper when the activists led by Hamas stormed the basis of Nahal Oz’s army where she worked, killing more than 50 soldiers and removing her and six others soldiers. Four of them were previously published in an exchange on Saturday.
Ms. Berger’s mother Meirav said that she had seen her daughter last time when they dropped off on October 5, 2023, two days before the attack. According to a website Created by his family, And her parents’ accounts in the Israeli media, Ms. Berger called her parents in the middle of the attack, using the phone of a friend who was killed next to her. She told them that she could hear gunshots and that people were crying, but that she was not afraid, according to the website.
In November 2023, Agam Goldstein-AlmogWho was caught in captivity with his daughter and two sons and was released as part of the first ceasefire agreement, said that she had been detained in a tunnel with Ms. Berger and the other soldiers serving as speeds which had been captured. She said Mrs. Berger prayed a lot and seemed to be in a good mood.
In August, Ms. Berger’s family organized an event to mark their birthday at the Aviv museum of the Jewish people, focused on music because they are passionate about music and plays the violin. She has a twin sister and two other brothers and sisters.
Gadi Moses
Gadi Moses, an agricultural expert, was kidnapped at Kibbutz Nir Oz after leaving his home to try to reason with activists.
His partner, Efrat Katz, hid in a safe room of their house with her daughter and two visiting grandchildren, before being also taken by activists. Their removal was captured on video which showed them crushed at the back of a van.
Ms. Katz was killed when an Israeli helicopter, responding to the assault led by Hamas, shot the vehicle in which she was held. His daughter and grandchildren were released during the ceasefire in November 2023.
Mr. Moses, then 79 work for his release. The family said in September that they had had No word of his fate since.
Arbel Yehud
Arbel Yehud was 28 years old when she was taken hostage with her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, from their home on Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel. Mr. Cunio would still be selected captive. His brother, Dolev Yehud, a doctor, was also considered a hostage but was identified last year as having been killed during the October 7 attack.
Ms. Yehud’s family described her as passionate about space and astronomy and said she had worked as a guide in a center of space and technology.
In February, his father, Yechi Yehud, said to the Daily Mail that he had avoided watching or reading news so as not to increase his hopes for an agreement. Her mother, Yael Yehud, described herself as “broken” and said that she often imagined her children crossing the door again.
Mme Yehud’s 29th anniversary in June, Her near friend, Shani Gorenwhich had been a hostage and was released in the first cease-fire contract, spoke during a rally in Tel Aviv and described the difficulty of recovering.
“Every day, I wake up, I’m still hostage,” she said. “Because until Arbel and everyone go home, we cannot even start to discuss rehabilitation and the future. I know. I was there.
Ms. Yehud was to be released on Saturday, which aroused one of the most important differences between Israel and Hamas since the start of the ceasefire.
Israeli officials said they thought it was not detained by Hamas and had suggested that another militant group was responsible for the restraint of its release. The Palestinian Islamic jihad published a video on Monday, including an analysis of the New York Times dates from January 25, in which she says: “My family, I’m fine. I miss you endlessly and I hope to go back soon, like the girls who had been released. “”
Defense groups of rights and experts in international law noted that, by definition, such hostage videos are made under constraint and that declarations are generally forced.
