Hamas freed three Israelis and five Thai nationals in exchange for more than 100 Palestinians. But the militant group struggled to control crowds, prompting a delay.
Israel and Hamas exchanged a new group of hostages and prisoners on Thursday in a handover that devolved into chaos as the armed militants struggled to control a chanting, jostling crowd of Palestinians trying to catch a glimpse of Israelis held captive during 15 months of war.
Hamas released a total of eight Israeli and Thai hostages in the Gaza Strip, including the tightly choreographed handover of an Israeli soldier, Agam Berger, 20, in the northern town of Jabaliya.
But the tumult surrounding the release of two other Israeli hostages — Arbel Yehud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, in the city of Khan Younis — infuriated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. It led his office to announce he had suspended the release of more than 100 Palestinian prisoners as called for under the truce brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
The episode briefly cast doubt on whether the prisoner release would happen at all.
Mr. Netanyahu blasted the “shocking scenes” of crowds yelling and jostling to get nearer to a fearful-looking Ms. Yehud and a grim-looking Mr. Moses. “This is additional proof of the inconceivable brutality of the Hamas terrorist organization,” the Israel prime minister said.
He called on the international mediators to secure guarantees from Hamas for “the safe exit of our hostages in the next rounds.” The Israeli government later relented, releasing the imprisoned Palestinians, saying that mediators had promised safe passage for hostages in future exchanges.