Emily Damari, one of the first hostages freed by Hamas in the cease-fire agreement, is speaking out for the first time following her release.
Hamas gunmen are guarding aid convoys in Gaza, and its police patrol city streets, sending a clear message: Hamas remains in charge.
The group is set to release the more than 90 hostages over the coming weeks as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel.
The deal brings hope for Palestinians facing food shortages and widespread death and destruction, but its terms are controversial for an Israeli public traumatized by the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack—and wary of security concessions. Israel’s cabinet still has to give the deal its blessing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was treating the ceasefire as temporary and retained the right to continue fighting if necessary.
The video showed the three women clambering into a Red Cross van, flanked by masked Hamas fighters armed with machine guns.