The handover to the Red Cross took place on Palestine Square in Gaza City, and was marked by a large ceremony, in which phalanxes of armed Hamas fighters fanned out around the square in their military uniforms, black balaclavas and signature green headbands. Spectators clambered atop rubble and wrecked vehicles to watch the handover, waving Palestinian and Hamas flags. On their th β and last β day of captivity, the four young women, who had been captured in their pajamas, were paraded in soldiers' uniforms before standing on a stage at the head of the square.
Behind them hung banners with slogans that condemned Israel. During their brief appearance, broadcast live on Israeli television, some of the hostages smiled and waved, raising their arms and giving thumbs up signs in front of the crowd. Two held each other's hands. They were freed as part of a deal brokered by the U.
The latest exchange came amid anger in Israel that Hamas was still holding civilians, despite having agreed as part of the deal to release civilian hostages ahead of Israeli soldiers. Hours later, Israel released Palestinians from prison as part of the hostage-for-prisoner swap outlined in the temporary truce. Abdullah Zaghri, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, which advocates for Palestinians in Israeli jails, said in a statement that more than half of those released Saturday have been transferred to the West Bank.
A small number of them were sent to locations inside Israel. A group of 70 will be sent to Egypt for exile in a small number of other Arab countries. According to the provisions of the agreement, detainees who were serving life sentences for murder and other serious crimes must be sent abroad.
One of them was Wael Qasem, convicted and sentenced to 35 life terms. He was described by the Israeli prison service as a member of a Hamas cell that was responsible for a series of suicide bombings, including the July attack at Jerusalem's Hebrew University that killed nine people, including five American students.
