Sorrow, elation as Palestinians witness the release of Israeli captives

Khan Younis, Gaza – Since 8am, 32-year-old Abu Yusuf* has been lasting successful a assemblage adjacent the rubble of the erstwhile location of Yahya Sinwar, the slain Hamas governmental and subject leader, successful confederate Gaza’s Khan Younis. With his four-year-old lad perched connected his shoulders, helium has been waiting to drawback a glimpse of the 2 Israeli captives acceptable to beryllium released.

Around Abu Yusuf, thousands of radical person gathered amid a oversea of greenish Hamas flags and the achromatic banners of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. There were besides portraits of Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon’s Hezbollah person killed by Israel, images of Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the person of Yemen’s Houthis, and Fathi Shaqaqi, the precocious laminitis of the Islamic Jihad.

“I’m arrogant to spot these prisoners released successful speech for countless Palestinians who person remained successful Israeli prisons for decades,” said Abu Yusuf.

The releases are portion of a high-stakes ceasefire agreement aimed astatine ending months of warfare that began connected October 7, 2023, aft Hamas fighters launched a deadly onslaught connected Israel. Under the woody that took effect connected January 19, Hamas is acceptable to merchandise 33 Israeli captives implicit a six-week period. In return, up to 1,650 Palestinian prisoners could beryllium freed from Israeli jails.

Thursday’s exchange, the third since the ceasefire began, started with Hamas releasing 20-year-old worker Agam Berger successful the Jabalia exile campy successful bluish Gaza, followed by the merchandise of civilians Arbel Yehud and Gadi Moses successful summation to 5 Thai nationals successful Khan Younis successful a handover overseen by Islamic Jihad’s equipped wing, al-Quds Brigades.

Later successful the day, Israeli authorities released 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 32 serving beingness sentences and 30 minors.

Abu Yusuf said that helium had walked much than 5 kilometres (three miles) from his colony to get early, and waited for much than 4 hours to witnesser the merchandise of the captives.

He says their merchandise successful speech for Palestinian prisoners makes him consciousness that what helium mislaid successful the warfare was not successful vain. “These scenes,” helium said, “help easiness the symptom of losing my two-story location and relatives to Israeli aerial strikes.”

As armoured pick-up trucks rolled by carrying fighters clad successful combat cogwheel and achromatic balaclavas, Abu Yusuf gestured towards them with pride.

“The absorption fighters are inactive here, alive, and susceptible of striking back,” helium said. “This full speech is simply a reminder that the concern has failed to interruption us.”

Israeli captive Arbel Yehud is released successful Gaza [Mohamed Solaimane/Al Jazeera]

‘People’s steadfastness’

Along Khan Younis’s crowded Fifth Street wherever the handover took spot and wherever Sinwar’s location stood, radical waved banners arsenic they came to witnesser what galore successful the assemblage saw arsenic “a symbolic victory”.

Two women waved handwritten signs thanking Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis for their support. One of them, Yasmin*, 28, clutched a banner reading, “To each who stood with us, our triumph is yours.”

“We’re present to convey each federation that backed our resistance, particularly Iran, [Lebanon’s] Hezbollah, and Yemen,” she said. “But our people’s steadfastness brought america here.”

Dozens of protesters clambered onto the remains of flattened homes to witnesser the handover.

The two-hour hold did small to dampen the crowd’s fervour arsenic radical filmed connected smartphones and chanted celebratory slogans.

The 2 Israeli captives, flanked by masked al-Quds Brigades fighters, were heavy guarded arsenic they were moved done the assemblage and towards representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Bystanders surged guardant to instrumentality photos and young men adjacent to the captives jeered arsenic they were led away.

Mohammed*, 22, his dependable edged with sarcasm, called out, “Arbel, you’ve caused america truthful overmuch trouble,” referring to the contention implicit Arbel Yehud’s release, which led to a tense standoff betwixt negotiators and vexation among Palestinians.

Israel said Yehud should person been released past Saturday, and aft she was not, accused Hamas of violating the agreement and past barred Palestinians from returning to their homes successful the north. An statement was aboriginal reached, paving the mode for thousands of displaced Palestinians to instrumentality to bluish Gaza.

“Go backmost to your family. We’re amended disconnected without you!” helium shouted.

The ruins of Yahya Sinwar’s house, the precocious Hamas leader, successful the backdrop of the determination of the handover of 2 captives [Mohamed Solaimane/Al Jazeera]

‘The terms we paid’

Among the onlookers, radical described feeling elation and sorrow pursuing a warfare that has killed astatine slightest 47,035 Palestinians and wounded 111,091.

Cries of “Allah Akbar!”, a operation often heard during Eid celebrations, rang done the streets, the sounds of jubilation astatine likelihood with the demolition each around. Khan Younis’s homes prevarication successful ruins, the farmland has been stripped bare by bulldozers and the remaining olive trees are charred husks.

Abdul Qadir*, a 63-year-old with a achromatic beard and wire-framed glasses, stood disconnected to the side, watching successful silence.

“We shouldn’t beryllium seeking strife with immoderate Arab federation oregon the planetary community,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Gesturing astatine the ruins astir him, helium said, “The recognition goes to the Palestinians,” who person withstood much than 15 months of relentless shelling, surviving “a genocide”.

“Our resilience forced the satellite to spot us. We endured the bombs, the sieges, the loss. But what remains?” helium asked. “Look astatine this destruction: our homes, our farms. This is the terms we paid.”

This nonfiction was published successful collaboration with Egab.

*All interviewees asked that their past names beryllium withheld owed to information concerns.