Hostages released from captivity in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners after delay

3 Israeli hostages, 5 Thai released; 110 Palestinian prisoners released after delay; IDF soldier killed, terrorists killed in W. Bank; IDF shoots down Hezbollah spy drone

By YONAH JEREMY BOB, JERUSALEM POST STAFF JANUARY 30, 2025 21:09

Agam Berger, Arbel Yehoud, and Gadi Moses. (photo credit: BRINGTHEMHOMENOW, Canva)

First hostage Agam Berger, and then later on Thursday, hostages Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Moses, and five Thai civilians were released by a combination of Hamas and Islamic Jihad on Thursday.

Berger was released early in the morning, and Yehoud and Moses were released hours later.

In exchange, Israel, in the late afternoon, released 110 Palestinian security prisoners, of which around 30 were given life sentences, 48 more were given lengthy jail sentences, and another 30 were convicted minors.

In Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, Yehoud and Moses were transferred to Red Cross vehicles, surrounded by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists along with masses of Gazan civilians during their release, showing a chaotic and potentially dangerous scene that angered Israeli officials.

In response, Israeli officials delayed the return of the Palestinian security prisoners for nearly two hours and said they had received guarantees that future hostage releases would be handled in a more orderly fashion.

Gadi Moses arrived at Beilinson hospital (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)

Earlier, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group published a video showing hostage Moses and Yehoud ahead of the scheduled release.

The video appears to show the two hostages being reunited and appears to be an effort by PIJ to show its own power independent of Hamas in the current series of exchanges.

Moses was taken captive from outside his home on October 7 when Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he lived, was invaded by Hamas terrorists. Moses marked his 80th birthday in Hamas captivity in Gaza in March.

German-Israeli hostage Yehoud, 29, was also abducted from Nir Oz.

Berger, was the final living IDF observation soldier not yet released who was kidnapped from Nahal Oz on October 7. She is alleged to have been the hostage who braided the hair of the four IDF soldiers released last Saturday.

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Palestinian prisoners released 

Another three Israeli hostages and many more Palestinian security prisoners are slated to be released this coming Saturday.

Among the Palestinian security prisoners released were Zakaria Zubeidi, a Fatah commander who was responsible for multiple terrorist attacks and for killing many Israelis and once temporarily escaped from the Gilboa Prison, and Rashid Reshek, a terrorist who was previously convicted of involvement in a plot to assassinate Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben Gvir.

IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the military and Israel had succeeded in returning all of the surviving lookouts from the Nahal Oz position, where many were killed and taken hostage.

He said that the country still has an obligation to probe the failures to protect them on October 7, with the IDF probes due to be issued in approximately the next month.

Hagari also said that the IDF is obligated to return the remaining 82 hostages.

West Bank operations 

In the West Bank, Hagari noted that the IDF recently killed 10 terrorists.

 Among them were terrorist Wassem Aklik, who was killed in Nablus during a joint operation by police special forces Yamam and IDF forces following Shin Bet intelligence.

The terrorist was planning terror attacks against Israeli targets, according to an IDF statement.

Aklik attempted to run from security forces while armed, at which point IDF soldiers opened fire and killed him.

IDF announces fallen soldier 

However, also on Thursday Staff Sergeant (St.-Sgt.) Liam Hazi, 20, was killed during operational activity in Jenin.

St.-Sgt. Hazi was in the ‘Haruv’ Reconnaissance Battalion of the Kfir Brigade and was originally from Rosh Ha'ayin.

During the incident in which Hazi was killed, a soldier in the same battalion was severely wounded, and a few others were moderately wounded.

In Lebanon, the air force intercepted a Hezbollah drone that was launched within Lebanon to collect intelligence regarding IDF movements, the military said on Thursday.

No sirens sounded in accordance with IDF directives.