Scenes of jubilation in Gaza: the first 3 Israeli hostages released thanks to the truce handed over to the Red Cross in front of a raging crowd. Hooded Hamas fighters, waving flags, cries of joy… A story of a historic moment.
On this sunny Sunday in Saraya Square in Gaza, an extraordinary scene unfolds before the amazed eyes of thousands of Palestinians. After long minutes of unbearable suspense, the first three Israeli hostages released thanks to the historic truce between Israel and Hamas appear in the middle of a jubilant crowd. A look back at this emotional moment.
The Red Cross at the heart of the action
It was late in the afternoon that a convoy of vehicles from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) entered Al-Rimal Square, in the west of Gaza City. Quickly surrounded by a sea of humans, including many children, ICRC employees, dressed in their emblematic red chasubles, speak briefly with men in armed fatigues. Hooded and wearing the green headband of the formidable Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, their presence adds to the ambient tension.
Songs to the glory of the fighters
Perched on the shoulders of a friend, a young Palestinian sings songs paying tribute to Yahya Sinouar. This architect of the October 7 agreement, which allowed the release of the hostages, had himself lost his life to the bullets of Israeli soldiers a few months earlier in the south of the Gaza Strip. His words resonate in the midst of the excited crowd.
A crowd gone out of control
Despite the efforts of Hamas fighters to contain the population, the situation seemed to escape their control when a new convoy transporting the three hostages appeared. Thousands of Gazans then crowd around the vehicles, phones in hand to immortalize the moment. The excitement is at its peak.
The three young women, barely glimpsed between two doors, pass in a flash from a van to a Red Cross 4×4, to the cheers of the crowd.
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Identified on television
Thanks to live images from Arab television channels, Israeli commentators recognize one of the ex-hostages, Doron Steinbrecher, by her bright pink sweater. But the vehicles are already starting up again, extricating themselves with difficulty from the crowd that surrounds them. As they pass, shouts of joy and whistles ring out, while Palestinian and Hamas flags are waved frantically.
Journalists up close
Among the human tide that stretches as far as the eye can see, we see several journalists trying to cover the event as best they can. One of them, the famous Al-Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif, managed to sneak as close as possible to the convoy to capture exclusive images of the arrival of the three Israeli women.
Around Saraya Square, the scars of the long months of conflict are still clearly visible, with many buildings with gutted facades. But on this historic day, marking the start of a hopeful truce, jubilation seems to prevail over everything else. The crowd continues to show its joy for many minutes after the departure of the hostages.
The counterpoint of Tel Aviv
Hundreds of kilometers away, in “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv, another crowd gathers in front of giant screens. Israelis, with serious and anxious faces, they follow live the release of their compatriots held in Gaza. On this esplanade which over the months has become the rallying point for those demanding the release of the hostages, the emotion is palpable. A new chapter is opening, for Gaza as for Israel.
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