International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff wearing red vests briefly exchanged words with Hamas militants in the group’s distinctive green headbands, while the Hamas footage showed them signing the release certificates before the women swiftly crossed to the Red Cross SUVs.
“Dozens of armed members of the Al-Qassam Brigades participated in the operation,” a Hamas official told AFP.
Around them a vast crowd pulsed, occasionally threatening to overwhelm the fighters protecting the convoy, who had to force people back.
The crowd waved Palestinian and Hamas flags while cheering and whistling. Some clung from the top of large advertising billboards to catch a glimpse of the hostage handover taking place below.
One young man perched on another’s shoulders began chanting in tribute to Yahya Sinwar, one of the architects of the October 7 events, who was killed by Israeli soldiers in southern Gaza in October.
Saraya Square, a large plaza built in the 1930s, is one of Gaza’s main gathering places and known for its proximity to Hamas government administrative buildings.
At the crucial moment, the three young women left a white van through sliding doors and headed to the Red Cross vehicles that would take them to Israeli forces in the territory.
Long after they had gone, crowds continued to celebrate in front of buildings damaged in the war as the first day of the ceasefire continued to hold.
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© 2025 AFP
