Joy as Palestinian prisoners released

A freed ex-militant received a hero’s welcome in the occupied West Bank on Thursday night after chaos during a Gaza hostage release briefly delayed the third ­Israel-Hamas exchange under a ceasefire deal.

Released Thai hostages Surasak Rumnao, left, Sathian Suwannakham, Bannawat Saethao, Watchara Sriaoun and Pongsak Thaenna pose with Thai national flags in Tel Aviv. Picture: AFP

A freed ex-militant received a hero’s welcome in the occupied West Bank on Thursday night after chaos during a Gaza hostage release briefly delayed the third ­Israel-Hamas exchange under a ceasefire deal.

At dusk, two buses carrying ­released inmates left the West Bank’s Ofer Prison after ­Israel said it had received assurances from mediators over the future “safe release” of captives.

Hundreds of joyous Palestinians greeted them when they ­arrived in Ramallah.

Flashing a victory sign, the first to disembark was Zakaria Zubeidi, 49, a former top militant leader jailed for attacks that killed several Israelis.

The cheering crowd immediately hoisted him onto their shoulders. Israel’s prison service confirmed it had freed 110 inmates in the latest hostage-prisoner swap under the January 19 ceasefire deal aimed at ending the war in Gaza.

Earlier in the day, after more than 15 months of captivity, three Israelis were freed by militants in Gaza, alongside five Thais who were also captured in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had denounced what he called “shocking scenes” during the hostage releases in Khan Younis, where television images showed gunmen struggling to control hundreds of Gazans seeking to witness the handover.

First to be freed on Thursday was 20-year-old Israeli soldier Agam Berger, who was handed over to officials from the Red Cross in Jabalia, northern Gaza.

Before her release, footage showed her on a stage with masked Hamas members in distinctive green headbands, being prompted to wave to onlookers.

The Red Cross said it organised the latest hostage-prisoner exchange but urged all parties to ­improve security and uphold agreements.

“The security of these operations must be assured, and we urge for improvements in the future,” international president Mirjana Spoljaric said.

Another hostage and prisoner release is scheduled for Saturday night AEDT, with three Israeli men set to be freed.

All the freed Israeli and Thai hostages were taken to hospitals after their return to Israel.

The two other freed Israelis are civilians Gadi Moses, 80, and Arbel Yehud, 29, both of whom also hold German nationality.

“It is confirmed everyone, my son did not die. Thank you, God,” a sobbing Wiwwaeo Sriaoun said at her home in rural Thailand as she heard confirmation her farm worker son Watchara Sriaoun was among those freed.

After seeing her son on a Facebook livestream after his release, another mother, Khammee Lamnao, said her son had changed so much that she didn’t recognise him at first.

Surasak Rumnao, 32, who was kidnapped from the southern ­Israeli town of Yesha, looked pale and puffy, she said.

“I was so happy that I could not eat anything. His father brought some food to me but I did not want to eat at all,” Khammee said after the release of her son.

Dozens of Israeli doctors, nurses and representatives from Israel and Thailand waved flags, sang and cheered as the five Thai hostages stepped off a military helicopter and entered a hospital outside Tel Aviv.

Besides Sarusak and Watchara, 33, others released were Sathian Suwannakham, 35, Pongsak Thaenna, 36, and Bannawat Saethao, 27.

According to Thailand’s foreign ministry, 46 Thais have been killed during the 15-month Gaza war, including two Thai citizens who were killed on October 7.

Doctor Osnat Levzion-­Korach, the director of Shamir Medical Centre outside Tel Aviv where the five were taken, said they were in “fair” health, though most were held underground and were not exposed to sunlight for extended periods. She said they did not appear to be malnourished and credited their young age with helping them survive captivity in fairly good physical shape.

Thailand’s ambassador to Israel, Pannabha Chandraramya, said she had organised video calls ­between the hostages and their families after they arrived at the hospital, describing them as incredibly emotional, with shouts of joy and tears. She said it was “one of the happiest days of her life” to see their release just a week before she ends her five-year term.

Ms Pannabha said there was no immediate information available about the last Thai hostage left in Gaza, Nattapong Pingsa, nor two Thai workers whose bodies were taken into Gaza.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra thanked Qatar, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, the US, Israel and the Red Cross for helping to negotiate the Thais’ release in a separate deal from the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

Alex Gandler from Israel’s foreign ministry said Israel’s ambassador in Thailand had visited some of the hostages released in the previous ceasefire deal on Thursday and that the Israeli government maintained contact with them.

He said that since the released Thais did not have family in Israel to greet them upon their release, some of their former employers came to meet them at the hospital.

There is still one Thai, one Nepali and one Tanzanian hostage, as well as the bodies of a Tanzanian and the two Thais being held in Gaza.

The ceasefire deal is currently in its first, 42-day phase in which 33 hostages are to be freed in stages, excluding the Thais.

Negotiations for a second phase of the deal should start next Monday. This phase would cover the release of the remaining captives.

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Mr Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday ahead of the Prime Minister’s expected visit to the White House next Tuesday.

More than 376,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza since Israel reopened access this week, according to the UN humanitarian office.

AFP, AP