Palestinian terrorist groups released three Israeli and five Thai hostages from Gaza on Thursday, in the third hostage release since a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect earlier this month. 

Arbel Yehud, 29, was taken hostage from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell. Gadi Moses, 80, an agronomist and vintner on Kibbutz Nir Oz, was also kidnapped from his home and was featured in a PIJ hostage video released by the group in December 2023. 

Yehud’s release comes days after disagreements over the order in which hostages would be released — after Hamas freed four female IDF soldiers last week — nearly led the fragile deal to collapse. According to the terms of the cease-fire and hostage-release agreement, civilian women were supposed to be released ahead of soldiers. Israel delayed implementing part of the cease-fire – allowing Palestinians to cross into northern Gaza – until it received assurances that Yehud would be freed on Thursday.

PIJ released a video of a tearful embrace between Moses and Yehud before they were released. Both appeared to be able to walk independently.

The terrorist group did not control the chaotic crush of Gazans surrounding the hostages on their way to Red Cross vehicles to betransfered to Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the sight, aired on Israeli news channels, “shocking” and “further proof of the incomprehensible cruelty of the Hamas terrorist organization. I demand that the mediators” – Egypt and Qatar – “ensure that such horrific sights will not be repeated and guarantee the safety of our hostages. Whoever hurts our hostages” will be targeted, he warned.

In Israel, members of Kibbutz Nir Oz lined up their tractors and waved flags along the road so Yehud and Moses could see them as they made their way from the Gaza border.

Agam Berger, 20, was one of seven IDF lookouts taken by Hamas from the Nahal Oz military base on Oct. 7, 2023. The other four surviving lookouts were released on Saturday, leaving Berger alone with her captors for five days; one reportedly offered to stay behind with Agam but was not allowed to do so. 

Hamas gave Berger fake IDF fatigues and Palestinian flag lanyard to wear and brought her on a stage, giving her a certificate before letting the Red Cross take her to Israel, repeating the display it arranged last week when the other four lookouts were released. Berger was reunited with the rest of the released lookouts at the Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah, where they awaited her return.

Several hostages came out of Gaza with stories about Berger. In Nov. 2023 and earlier this month, girls and women emerged from captivity with elaborate hairstyles that Berger braided. Agam Goldstein-Almog, 18, a hostage released on Nov. 26, 2023, called Berger’s father that day to pass along birthday wishes his daughter had sent from captivity. Released hostages also said that Berger observed Shabbat while she was in Gaza; her religious community in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon were caught on Israeli news cameras singing Jewish songs and prayers and marching in the streets with a Torah scroll dedicated in Berger’s name.

Five out of the six living Thai hostages, also taken hostage by PIJ, were released with Moses and Yehud on Thursday. Pongsak Thanna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Lamnao​ were freed earlier today.

In exchange for the hostages, Israel was expected to release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including terrorists who murdered Israelis – 30 per Israeli civilian and 50 per Israeli soldier. Additional terrorists were not released for the Thai hostages and a side agreement is expected to be worked out between Bangkok and Hamas or PIJ via mediators, an Asian diplomat told Jewish Insider.

Three more Israeli hostages, who are elderly or wounded men, are set to be released on Saturday.