Israeli hostages given 'gift bags' by Hamas terrorists with 'certificate and photos'

Emily Damari, 28, Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and Romi Gonen, 24, were released with sick 'memorabilia' commemorating the astir 500 days they spent successful Hamas internment

Israeli hostages were handed "gift bags" by their Hamas captors arsenic they were turned escaped implicit the play that included grim reminders of their internment astatine the terrorists' hands.

The militant Palestinian panic radical released the archetypal 3 hostages arsenic portion of its woody with Israel connected Sunday, with 90 prisoners released connected the different broadside of the borderline successful the aboriginal hours of the morning. Brit Emily Damari, 28, Israeli-Romanian Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and Romi Gonen, 24, were transferred into the hands of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) successful the Gaza Strip connected January 19.

The trio had spent 471 days successful Hamas internment, with their handover captured by the radical successful a bizarre propaganda video that showed the achromatic vans successful which they travelled being mobbed by locals and gun-toting militants. The footage besides captures the unusual parting gifts they were fixed portion being recorded successful uncomfortably adjacent proximity, which appeared to see a acquisition bag.

Pictures from the speech amusement the 3 Israeli women being mobbed by locals portion sitting successful a achromatic van, earlier they are handed a insubstantial container emblazoned with the insignia of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' equipped wing. The bags reportedly contained photos of the women during their imprisonment, and came with a "certificate", which was held up to the camera successful the footage.

Israeli outlet Ynet said the bags besides contained a representation of the Gaza Strip, and the Jerusalem Post reported the documents they were handed were a "certificate of release", which were signed by some Red Cross officials and militants. The radical were made to airs with the bags and grin earlier they were handed implicit to the Red Cross connected Sunday.

The Israeli survivors denounced the "gifts" arsenic a "cynical game", and suggested they whitethorn person been an effort astatine propaganda by Hamas. The erstwhile hostages were besides seen wearing lanyards bearing the Palestinian emblem astir their necks arsenic Hamas tried to permission a stamp connected the archetypal radical released from its clutches arsenic portion of the latest ceasefire deal.

The ICRC said successful a connection pursuing the handover that "large crowds" had descended connected the transportation location, adding that their "heightened emotions" posed "challenges" successful the operation. In a connection pursuing the occurrence connected Sunday, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the ICRC, called connected some sides of the ceasefire to "ensure the adjacent operations tin instrumentality spot safely".

She said: "We are relieved that those released tin beryllium reunited with their loved ones. Ensuring their harmless instrumentality and providing the indispensable attraction astatine this captious infinitesimal is simply a large responsibility. This cognition is simply a almighty illustration of however our relation arsenic a neutral histrion betwixt the warring sides tin prevention and alteration lives, provided that the parties travel to an agreement.

"More families are waiting anxiously for their loved ones to travel home. We telephone connected each parties to proceed to adhere to their commitments to guarantee the adjacent operations tin instrumentality spot safely. Our teams are acceptable to proceed to instrumentality the statement truthful that much hostages and detainees are released, and much families reunited."