Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday slammed the “shocking scenes” of mob chaos at the Gaza handover of two Israeli hostages and five Thai hostages to the Red Cross, and delayed Israel’s reciprocal release of Palestinian security prisoners as he demanded mediators prevent a repeat in future hostage releases.
“I view with utmost severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “This is additional proof of the inconceivable brutality of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
The prime minister said he was insisting that “mediators ensure that such terrible scenes do not recur, and guarantee the safety of our hostages.” He added that “whoever dares to harm our hostages will pay.”
His office later said Israel had indeed been given the necessary guarantees from mediators “that our hostages will be guaranteed safe passageway in the next releases.”
“Israel insists that lessons be learned and that the next rounds will have greater care in ensuring the safe return of our hostages,” it added.
The message from the Prime Minister’s Office did not directly address the delay in releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners, which was held up following Israeli anger over the threatening crowds that surrounded hostages Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Mozes, Pongsak Thenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Lamnau as they were handed over to the Red Cross in the late morning.
Hebrew media reports cited Israeli officials as saying the delayed release of the prisoners was expected to restart around 5 p.m.
Yehoud and Mozes were transferred to the Red Cross in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis in the midst of shoving and shouting masses that surrounded the vehicles and delayed their handover. Shortly afterward, the five Thais — Thenna, Suwannakham, Sriaoun, Seathao and Lamnau — were also transferred to the Red Cross as the angry crowd closed in around them.
The chaos was followed closely by shocked Israel journalists and Israelis around the country, as a handover that should have taken minutes dragged out for over an hour, with terror operatives fighting off the unruly crowds to get the hostages to the Red Cross cars.
President Isaac Herzog also criticized the release in Khan Younis, saying that “the moments of horror during [the hostages’] transfer to the Red Cross were nerve-wracking and unacceptable.”
In response to a query from The Times of Israel on Wednesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said that it does not have control over the conduct of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad during handovers.
“The ICRC is in contact with all sides regarding the terms of the release of hostages and detainees,” organization spokesman Gilad Grossman said. “While we bring up our concerns, we are not the ones who determine these terms.”
Meanwhile, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, who is credited with playing a critical role in reaching the current ceasefire-hostage deal, visited four previously freed hostages at the hospital, and also met with families of those still held captive.
During his visit to the Tel Aviv Museum plaza now known as Hostages Square, Witkoff indicated that an American citizen would be freed on Saturday.
US media reports had indicated that American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel was to be freed on Thursday along with Agam Berger and Arbel Yehoud, but instead Gadi Mozes was released. The other hostages with US citizenship who are believed to still be alive are Edan Alexander — who is not slated for release in the first stage — and Sagui Dekel-Chen, who is expected to be freed in the coming weeks.
Siegel, at 65, is the oldest and so would be expected to be the first among them to return.
Asked about the likelihood that the next stages of the ceasefire deal would come to fruition, Witkoff said: “I’m hopeful that it will, that people are working towards it.”
“President Trump is committed to doing everything possible to help the families,” he said.
Witkoff added that “it’s a great day for the State of Israel.”
During his meeting with the families of hostages, Witkoff spoke with Yocheved Lifshitz, who was freed from captivity in October 2023 but whose husband, Oded Lifshitz, 84, is still held captive: “I’m so happy you’ve home,” he told her, saying she reminded him of his own mother.
Oded Lifshitz is slated to be returned during the first stage of the deal, although his family said this week that there is “grave concern” over his fate. It is known that eight of the 33 hostages being returned in phase one are no longer alive.
“Everybody is feeling how wonderful it is that we’re saving lives — that’s the most important thing is,” Witkoff told the families. “But it’s also important that we bring home people who [are no longer alive, so that parents] can bury their children… they have to be able to bury them,” he added, to a chorus of agreement in the room.
Earlier in the day, Witkoff also met at Rabin Medical Center with Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, Liri Albag and Daniella Gilboa, who were freed from captivity on Saturday.
Before that, Witkoff met with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Shas chairman Aryeh Deri and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in Jerusalem.
Smotrich is seen as one of the government’s most strident opponents to continuing beyond the first phase of the ceasefire deal, threatening to quit the coalition and bring down the government if Israel does not resume fighting in Gaza.