The short breath, the haggard looks, three men are advancing under the cheers of a crowd massaged in Khan Younès, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Surrounded by fighters from Hamas and Islamic jihad, they are forced to speak in front of an audience of onlookers and cameras before being returned to the International Committee of the Red Cross. This Saturday, after more than 500 days of captivity, Sacha Trupanov, Yaïr Horn and Sagui Dekel-Chen find freedom, in exchange for new Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.
The scene, orchestrated by the Islamist movement, is now well established. A large banner of the Ezzedine al-Qassam brigades floats behind them, while messages in Arabic, Hebrew and English recall the intransigence of the Palestinian factions on the destiny of Gaza. A sentence, inscribed in black letters, summarizes the state of mind of terrorists: “No trip except to Jerusalem”. A reminder for the attention of the United States and Israel, while the prospect of a forced evacuation of the inhabitants of the enclave is mentioned in diplomatic discussions.
A pressure exchange
The return of the hostages comes at the end of feverish negotiations carried out under the aegis of Qatar and Egypt. The truce agreement, which entered into force on January 19, has won over in recent days, Hamas threatening to suspend the releases and Israel promising a resumption of military operations. It took long hours of negotiations for the exchange to succeed: in return for the three Israeli hostages, several dozen Palestinian prisoners, some of which are sentenced to life, must be released during the day.
As with each release, the scene provokes contrasting emotions. In Tel Aviv, hundreds of Israelis gathered in a place light up candles and await, anxious, the confirmation of the return of their compatriots. Some express their relief, others denounce a humiliating staging orchestrated by Hamas. Anger also rises after the accounts of ex-hostages on their conditions of detention: tortures, deprivation, prolonged confinement in tunnels without daylight …
An increasingly fragile truce
With 73 hostages still retained in Gaza, including at least 35 alleged dead, the rest of the process promises to be uncertain. Washington and Doha hope to start the second phase of negotiations in the coming days. This must allow the release of all Israeli hostages, before a third and last stage devoted to the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory.
But on the ground, tensions persist. The Israeli army continues to exert strong military pressure on the positions of Hamas, while the government of Benjamin Netanyahu no longer hides its impatience. On Saturday evening, US Secretary of State Mario Rubio is expected in Israel to try to appease tensions and revive discussions. In the meantime, the families of the hostages remain in Gaza continue to hope. For them, war will not stop until all have regained their home.
