Jerusalem | For Israelis, the scene was nearly unbearable: three painfully thin hostages being made, minutes before their release, to give speeches thanking the gun-toting Hamas militants who had held them captive for more than 16 months in the Gaza Strip.

Their remarks were given on Saturday under extreme duress – effectively at gunpoint. But for Hamas, it was yet another staged hostage handoff that showcased the group’s power in Gaza despite more than a year of devastating war and provided propaganda for its claim to have treated its captives benevolently.