Hamas Handed ‘Gift Bags’ To 3 Released Hostages, Israeli Authorities Seize Materials – Here’s What Was Inside
Hamas released three Israeli hostages in Gaza City after 471 days of captivity. The hostages were given 'gift bags' which were later seized by Israeli authorities. Know what the bags contained.
Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, released a propaganda video on Sunday night, showing the handover of three Israeli hostages—Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari—in Gaza City. A striking detail in the footage was that each of the freed hostages received a paper bag bearing the Qassam Brigades' logo before stepping into a Red Cross SUV.
The masked Hamas militant handing over the hostages also displayed a certificate written in Hebrew and Arabic, which read “release decision.”
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— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) January 19, 2025
🇵🇸🇮🇱 Hamas broadcasts moment of handing over Israeli hostages and gave them gifts. pic.twitter.com/NbcgY1TKlg
Later footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) blurred the logo on the bags carried by the hostages. According to The Jerusalem Post, the women "were forced" to take part "in a staged ceremony" where they were given bags containing maps of the Gaza Strip, photos of themselves taken in captivity, and “certificates of release”.
According to CNN, a representative from Gonen’s family confirmed that the bag contained the certificate, a necklace, and photos. The family also stated that Israel’s Internal Security Agency, the Shin Bet, had confiscated the materials. While they did not provide details about the photographs, Israeli media reported that they depicted the hostages' time in captivity.
During the handover, a Red Cross representative was asked to sign an Arabic-language document that read: “Acknowledgment of Receipt of Israeli Prisoners.” The document stated, “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,” followed by the names of the hostages, CNN reported.
Hamas' move to present hostages with "gift bags" after 471 days of captivity has been viewed as an effort to portray itself as a structured governing entity. The handover was marked by a show of force at Gaza City’s Al Saraya Junction, where a line of Qassam militants stood in formation—an apparent message of defiance to Israel, whose government has vowed to dismantle the group.
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Israel Yet To Achieve Goal Of Dismantling Hamas, Blinken Warns Of 'Perpetual War'
The images of the militant presence in Gaza have triggered mixed reactions in Israel. While hardliners view the ceasefire as a sign of capitulation, others argue that the 15-month-long conflict has failed to dislodge Hamas, questioning the necessity of continued bloodshed.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar admitted on Sunday that Israel had not yet achieved its objective of dismantling Hamas' military and governmental structure. “We had an advancement,” Saar said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, however, warned that Israel was far from meeting its goal. “We assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war,” Blinken said.
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