Israel Retaliates for Maltreatment of Hostages During Release from Gaza

Photo Credit: Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL

Freed hostage Gadi Mozes, 80, forced to walk through a tightly-packed screaming horde of terrorists and their supporters in Khan Younis, Gaza before being transferred to a Red Cross vehicle. Jan. 30, 2025

The State of Israel retaliated Thursday for the maltreatment of its hostages during their release from captivity in Gaza, pausing the release of 100 terrorist prisoners — including 33 serving life sentences — over the issue.

The prisoners were to be released once the freed hostages reached Israeli territory, but instead the buses were ordered to turn around and return to the prisons.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, has ordered that the release of the terrorists slated to be released today be delayed until the safe exit of our hostages in the next phases is assured,” read a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. “Israel demands that the mediators see to this.”

Female IDF soldier Agam Berger was forced on Thursday morning to ascend to a stage where masked and armed Hamas terrorists carried out a propaganda “photo op” before being paraded through a tightly-packed, screaming mob to reach a Red Cross vehicle for transfer to Israel.

Berger and two other, civilian hostages — 80-year-old Gadi Mozes and 29-year-old Arbel Yehud — were also surrounded by screaming, shoving hordes of armed terrorists and their “civilian” supporters while they were being transferred from the custody of their Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist captors to Red Cross personnel.

Disturbing footage of the vicious hordes and the chaos that ensued during the transfers — further exacerbating the endless trauma suffered by the hostages — has outraged Israelis and the country’s political leadership.

“I view with utmost severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages. This is additional proof of the inconceivable brutality of the Hamas terrorist organization,” Netanyahu said in a statement responding to footage of the horrifying scenes.

“I demand that the mediators make certain that such terrible scenes do not recur, and guarantee the safety of our hostages. Whoever dares to harm our hostages will pay the price,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz instructed the Israel Prison Service to delay the release of the terrorists set to return to their various origins, until the safe exit of Israeli hostages is guaranteed in the next few days.

Israel demanded the mediators who brokered the deal with Hamas — Qatar, Egypt and the United States — take steps to ensure the safety of Israeli hostages during their release from Hamas captivity, including those to be freed this coming weekend. To ensure their compliance, the Jewish State is holding up release of the terrorist prisoners.

Sixty-six of the 110 terrorists slated for release Thursday 66 were to return to their homes in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria. Fourteen terrorists were to return to their homes in Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem and nine were to be deported to Gaza. In addition, 21 terrorists were to be deported to third countries via Gaza.

All of the prisoners slated for release on Thursday were instead returned to Ofer and Ketziot Prisoners until further notice.