Hamas released three Israeli women captives with a goody bag. The handing over of the goody bags was spotted in a video released by Hamas’s militant wing, Al-Qassam Brigade.
Three Israeli women Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari were released on Sunday night in the first phase of the prison exchange deal that came into effect as a result of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
As the women got into a Red Cross SUV in Gaza City, a Hamas militant handed each of them a paper bag with the Qassam Brigades’ logo on it – a “gift bag,” of sorts.
The masked men of the Al-Qassam brigade held up the certificate that, in Hebrew and Arabic, read “release decision.”
According to the details, each of these bags contained a necklace, a map of the Gaza Strip, a certificate, and pictures taken during their captivity.
However, according to the families of the released Israeli captives, the bags were confiscated by Israel’s Internal Security Agency.
Read more: Joe Goldberg’s Last Chapter: “You” Season 5 to Arrive April 2025
During the handover, a Red Cross representative was asked to sign an Arabic-language document. “Acknowledgment of Receipt of Israeli Prisoners,” the document read. “I, the representative of the International Red Cross, acknowledge that I have received from the Izz Eddin al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, a total of three prisoners, who are…” and then the names of the hostages.
Three of the women are among the 30 Israeli captives with Hamas. Israel also released 90 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Israel is expected to release approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in the next six weeks, while Hamas will be compelled to turn over the remaining 30 hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attacks.
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has been brokered by Donald Trumps’s team ahead of its oath-taking ceremony held on Monday.