Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned on Thursday the "shocking scenes" during the release of three prisoners, including two Israelis, in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Netanyahu said, "I am horrified by the shocking scenes during the release of our prisoners. This is further evidence of the cruelty of the terrorist Hamas movement." This came after television footage showed chaos in Gaza as armed fighters struggled to control hundreds of Palestinians who had gathered to witness the prisoner handover.
Hamas stated on Thursday that "the mass gathering of the Palestinian people during the Israeli prisoner handover operations is a clear message of strength in the face of Israeli occupation.
" The statement continued, "The large crowd during the handovers in Khan Yunis and the Jabalia camp, amidst the rubble left by Israel in both areas, is a message of persistence, strength, and defiance raised against this brutal occupier, signaling that our people will remain on their land and are determined to achieve their project of liberation, return, and self-determination."
The announcement of the new round of prisoner exchanges comes as hundreds of thousands of people are flowing into northern Gaza, which was devastated by the war, to return to what remains of their homes, after Israel had previously ordered them to evacuate the area as part of its war against Hamas.
Source : Safa News
