Israeli hostages given 'gift bags' by Hamas terrorists with 'certificate and photos'
Israeli hostages given 'gift bags' by Hamas terrorists with 'certificate and photos'
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Israeli hostages were handed "gift bags" by their Hamas captors as they were turned free over the weekend that included grim reminders of their internment at the terrorists' hands. The militant Palestinian terror group released the first three hostages as part of its deal with Israel on Sunday, with 90 prisoners released on the other side of the border in the early hours of the morning. Brit Emily Damari, 28, Israeli-Romanian Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and Romi Gonen, 24, were transferred into the hands of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Gaza Strip on January 19.
The trio had spent 471 days in Hamas internment, with their handover captured by the group in a bizarre propaganda video that showed the white vans in which they travelled being mobbed by locals and gun-toting militants. The footage also captures the odd parting gifts they were given while being recorded in uncomfortably close proximity, which appeared to include a gift bag.
Pictures from the exchange show the three Israeli women being mobbed by locals while sitting in a white van, before they are handed a paper bag emblazoned with the insignia of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing. The bags reportedly contained photos of the women during their imprisonment, and came with a "certificate", which was held up to the camera in the footage.
Israeli outlet Ynet said the bags also contained a map of the Gaza Strip, and the Jerusalem Post reported the documents they were handed were a "certificate of release", which were signed by both Red Cross officials and militants. The group were made to pose with the bags and smile before they were handed over to the Red Cross on Sunday.
