Phase One (3)

Eight more are free. But it was another traumatic experience for the hostages.

The hostage releases today took place on two different locations. Agam Berger, the last of the female military hostages was released first in Jabaliya in Northern Gaza in another staged event, much like the release Saturday. A Hamas cameraman was visibly giving her instructions on how to behave and waive as the terror group desperately tries to win the media battle. Later in the day in Khan Yunis, Arbel Yehud, whose brother Dolev was murdered and 80-year old Gadi Mozes, whose partner Efrat Katz was found murdered on October 7th as well as the five Thai nationals, Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Sriaoun Watchara, Seathao Bannawat, and Rumnao Surasakwere released.

Look at the video above and imagine being Arbel Yehud. She has been in captivity for 482 days and we have learned that, as opposed to most of the other hostages, she did not see any other Israeli during her ordeal. She lost her brother, she was isolated, she was abused and as a finishing touch she was made to walk through a lynching mob during the last moments of captivity. It was insane. And telling. Gadi Moses and the five Thai hostages were given the same cruel gauntlet style farewell, furthering the already deep trauma these people have gone through.

It is important to also focus on these Thai hostages - see the video of how the family of Pongsak Tanna tracked his return - as they were hostage for the same long period and they were hardly getting any media attention. This was far from their conflict, they were guest workers in Israel, and it is revealing how despite numerous diplomatic efforts to get them released nothing happened. Hamas willingly continued their captivity and torture in the meantime.

And what a striking contrast between Hamas and the Gaza residents on the one hand and the humanity that Israel extends. Thai food was ready at the point of arrival for the Thai hostages. In fact, hospital facilities in Israel have been prepared for months for the hostages with the favourite items for each hostage ready, medical prescriptions to glasses where necessary, like everything has been thought out and well prepared, no was detail missed. Anything and everything to give these people the best and warmest upon their return.

The failures to prevent October 7th, the impossible length of the war in Gaza and the almost abandoned hostages are further ripping up the deep wounds that linger in Israeli society. Yes, these are further deepening the domestic political crises, but also underline the impossibility to establish any sort of lasting arrangement with Gazans and West Bank Arabs as long as Hamas remains a force. Even without them it will take a generation to de-program a population that is indoctrinated in boundless Jew hate. And all evidence is indicating that in particular in Judea and Samaria Hamas is gaining strength and the show of force during the hostage releases have no doubt further boosted those sentiments. Hamas has pulled out everything to convey a ‘win’ to the world and they are on a steady trajectory to further violence and destruction.

Maybe not now as Phase One unfolds toward its conclusion on March 1, but the hostage deal is nothing more than a pause, a stop in this long and intractable conflict. Let’s savour this brief interlude of humanity while it lasts.

Photos: Agam Berger reunites with her parents upon her return to Israel, Gadi Mozes calmly takes his last few steps in captivity. Finally as a bonus, Agam’s friends celebrate and sing the most popular song in Israel and for Jews all around the world at the moment, Sasson Shaulov’s ‘Tamid Ohev Oti’, which means ‘Always Loves me’:

Update: note that I have corrected the spelling of the names of the Thai hostages.

Another update: Arbel Yehud's family requested on social media that the video of their daughter running the gauntlet in Gaza be taken down. I have done that and replaced it with a photo of her united with her family.