Three Israelis and five Thais taken captive during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and held in Gaza for 482 days are expected to be freed Thursday as part of Israel’s ceasefire deal with the Palestinian terror group.
The three Israeli hostages are civilians Arbel Yehud, 29, and Gadi Mozes, 80, and IDF soldier Agam Berger, 20. Mozes was taken from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz with his wife, Margalit, who was one of the first hostages freed during the November 2023 Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
At least one of the hostages slated to be freed on Thursday was reportedly held by Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists who participated in the Oct. 7 attack alongside Hamas.
Israeli officials believe the hostages could be freed separately on Thursday, possibly in multiple locations throughout the Strip, according to Hebrew media.
Arab media reported that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists were seen preparing for the hostages’ handover to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern city of Khan Yunis, as well as in the Jabalia neighborhood of the northern Strip.
Jerusalem is preparing to free several high-profile Palestinian terrorists in exchange for the hostages, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday. Among the 110 terrorists scheduled to be released are Zakaria Zubeidi, Mohammad Abu Warda and Sami Jaradat, according to Channel 12.
Zubeidi led Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the Samaria city of Jenin and briefly escaped from Israel’s high-security Gilboa Prison in September 2021.
Since Zubeidi was not convicted of murder but of other terror offenses, he will not be deported and is expected to be released back to Samaria.