By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2025-01-19 21:20:07 | Updated at 2025-01-20 04:15:25
6 hours ago
Each of the hostages released by Hamas were given a bizarre “gift bag” before they were handed over to the Red Cross – while the terror group released an equally strange propaganda video documenting their return.
The bags contained “gifts and souvenirs,” which included photos of them in captivity, a commemorative photo of Gaza itself, and some kind of certificate, the Israeli outlet Ynet reported.
All three hostages — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher – were filmed being loaded into a car, then without a word a Hamas terrorist handed each a paper bag with the group’s crest on it.
Apparently without choice, the women were filmed smiling as they held up gold-gilded certificates bound like high school diplomas and then were whisked away by an entourage of armed and masked terrorists.
The hostages described the gift bags as a “cynical game,” apparently intended to manipulate them, according to the Jerusalem Post.
In the rest of the video, obtained by the Times of Israel, the Israelis were seen being driven through the streets of Gaza city in a ramshackle motorcade of gun-wielding terrorists, while crowds of citizens mobbed the vehicles, pounded on the windows and chanted in Arabic.
At several points the cars are forced to stop as the crowd refused to part.
Eventually the hostages arrived at a convoy of Red Cross cars, and were signed over and then driven off to safety.
Here’s how the proposed three phases would work out, according to a current draft obtained by news outlets:<br>
Phase 1
- The first phase will halt fighting for 42 days with 33 Israeli hostages incrementally freed from captivity in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
- There are 97 hostages – civilians and soldiers – in captivity, but only 60 are thought to be alive.
- On the first day of cease-fire, now set for Sunday, Hamas will release three hostages, then another four on the seventh day. After that, there will be weekly releases during the initial six-week period.
- Israel will let 30 Palestinian women, children and elderly imprisoned go in exchange for every civilian hostage freed from Gaza. For every female Israeli soldier released, the Jewish state will deliver 50 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 facing life sentences.
- For bodies returned to Israel, all Palestinian women and children detained from Gaza by Israel since the war started on Oct. 7, 2023 will be released. Meanwhile, Israeli forces will pull back into a buffer zone in Gaza and near the Israeli border that will allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza City and northern Gaza.
- About 600 trucks of humanitarian aid will flow in Gaza daily during the cease-fire, including 50 of them carrying fuel.
- Negotiations over second phase of the agreement will start on the 16th day of the first phase.
Phase 2
- If Israel and Hamas reach a further agreement, all remaining hostages are supposed to be freed and in return Israel will completely withdraw from Gaza during this phase.
- Reaching that next step could prove difficult, because Israel has said it won’t relent to a total withdrawal until the terror organization’s military and political power is wiped out.
- Hamas has said it won’t release the last hostages until all Israeli troops leave. Hamas needs to agree to remove itself from power — something it has hinted it is willing to do — but could still be a factor in a future government, which Israel does not want.
- While the draft agreement states a second phase deal must be reached by the end of phase one, Hamas had called for written guarantees that the temporary peace could continue until an agreement is struck. The terror group has said though it will abide by a verbal assurances from the United States, Egypt and Qatar. But Israel has not agreed to that and airstrikes could potentially start again.
Phase 3
- The third – and final phase — would entail Hamas trading the bodies of the rest of the remaining hostages in Gaza in return for a 3- to 5-year rebuilding plan in the decimated Palestinian territory under international supervision.
The three hostages freed Sunday were the first of 33 expected to be let go over the course of the first of three phases of the cease-fire deal.
Another four are supposed to be released in seven days, with the first phase consisting largely of women, children, and the sick, wounded, or elderly.
The second phase, which will begin to be negotiated in about 16 days, is expected to include hostages who are in the Israeli military.
