People who had gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square to watch the release of seven captives mobbed US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who walked through the crowd in the square just after news of the transfer of all hostages to the Red Cross broke.
People in the crowd thanked Witkoff and called for him to bring the rest of the hostages still held by Hamas and other terror organizations home.
A woman waved a large American flag as people in the crowd called out, “God bless America,” and others yelled out their thanks or pleas that Trump’s administration ensure that the rest of the hostages are brought back.
“Thank you for saving the hostages,” someone called to him from the crowd, while a chant went up in English to “bring them home.”
Hostage families and Israelis had gathered in Hostages Square to watch together the release of Agam Berger, Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Moses, Thenna Pongsak, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Seathao Bannawat, and Rumnao Surasak, held by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Before the announcement that all hostages had been safely transferred, the mood in the square was a combination of elation and intense fear. It reflected the extreme array of emotions Israelis have felt over the course of the first weeks of the current hostage deal.
Emotional watch
Feelings quickly shifted between elation as images of released IDF observer Agam crossing into Israel were broadcast on a huge screen, and horror as Arbel, Gadi, Thenna, Sathian, Sriaoun, Seathao, and Rumnao were propelled through a crush of people in Khan Yunis on their way to Red Cross vehicles.
The crowd was tense and quiet as they strained to make out the hostages through the crowd – shifting uncomfortably as Hamas and PIJ terrorists appeared to struggle to clear the crowd enough to bring the hostages to Red Cross vehicles.
A cheer went up as people in Hostages Square thought they recognized Gadi among the crowd of Gazans, but it was quickly swallowed by a collective gasp as the jostling of the crowd appeared to become particularly violent.
The footage on the screen then cut to images of Agam Berger hugging an IDF soldier who greeted her as she crossed the border into Israel, and those gathered in Hostages Square broke into cheers and applause.
A bottle of champagne was popped, and the crowd cheered when they heard the report that Arbel had been transferred to the Red Cross. However, the mood soon became sober again as Israeli media emphasized that it was not yet clear whether Gadi had made it safely through the mob to Red Cross vehicles.
Looking around at the faces of the people in the square, it was impossible to tell whose tears were of joy and relief and whose were of fear until finally, confirmation that the hostages had all been safely transferred to the Red Cross broke in the square, and a huge, relieved cheer went up.