I have a confession. Even though I try really hard to not use my cell phone on the Sabbath, last Saturday it was impossible as the events of the hostage release was unfolding. All Israel was anxiously awaiting their homecoming.

I tried to watch events unfold on Israeli news, but could find nothing in real time except the thousands of Israelis gathered in what has become known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. I used my VPN (AlJazeera is not allowed in this country) to place me back in the States. And the live feed popped up on my screen. Exclusive coverage was provided by the Qatari funded AlJazeera. Narration in Arabic and English.

After more delays from Hamas once again, late Friday afternoon they announced the planned release of hostages Naama Levy, Liri Elbag, Daniella Gilboa and Karina Ariev, all IDF surveillance watchers that were stationed on the Gaza border. This move deviated from prior agreements of releasing all female civilians and children still held in Gaza first. There is one civilian female, Ariel Yahud, who has been “lost.” As Hamas says, she is being held by a Salafist group not related to or answerable to them. There was also supposed to be a list provided to the Israeli government of those of the captives who are still alive and those who are deceased. That has not been done.

But first, a little about the young girls who were released on Saturday, which actually was an exuberant moment for all us watching:

In Gaza City early Saturday morning, tens of thousands of masked and banded Hamas soldiers, fully decked out in their uniforms all well armed, lined the streets. It was quite the display to show that they are still fully in control – and that there are still a lot of them. All of this contradicts the cries of “genocide” of the Palestinian people. This was just the first of the discrepancies. Let’s go through some of them-

All of the Hamas fighters were wearing what appeared to be brand new uniforms. If they had been fighting in the dirt and rubble for the past 15 months, their uniforms would be absolutely filthy. I’ve seen IDF soldiers who have returned from the field…on the train, at the bus stops, walking home….and they are always covered with dirt and grime and stains. So these Hamasniks just didn’t make sense UNLESS they do not use their uniforms when they are fighting. They dress as civilians. Innocent civilians. No, not at all associated with the terror group. They fight in their civvies so they won’t be marked as Hamas.

Again, the Gazan population, without any water, all had clean clothes. This country that has no food and must rely on humanitarian aid because there is a severe famine all had seemingly very well-fed people in the crowd. Everyone from the soldiers to the burka’d women to the children all appeared vibrant and healthy, not like they were faint from hunger or on the verge of starvation. They had been gathered throughout Gaza City for hours before the actual handoff took place. Something was not quite right. For a population near death, all seemed quite lively. And for a country without electricity, in absolute poverty, most people seemed to have fully charged cell phones with which they were filming the festivities.

The Red Cross was responsible for issuing certificates (what the heck kind of certificates????) to those hostages that were to be released. They were the ones who picked up the captives and drove them in a convoy to Palestine Square. The Red Cross never once checked on the conditions of these hostages. We are just now finding out how surgeries were performed without anesthesia or painkillers by the (Hamas) doctors at Shifa Hospital. There was never a Red Cross member present. Israel begged them to deliver prescription medication to be delivered to some of the elderly captives. It never happened. Now, here they were. Signing documents and chauffeuring the four girls in their new white SUVs.

When the four girls were delivered to Palestine Square, it was noted by the commentators that they were wearing their IDF uniforms because they were Israeli soldiers. Is our memory so short, that we forgot they were kidnapped in their pajamas and their sweats on the very early morning hours of 7 October, 2023? These were not their uniforms. In fact, they were not even IDF uniforms. It was all a well choreographed show.

We were absolutely elated to see the girls we had grown to know and love. All Israelis have followed their stories – their lives pre army; the jobs as surveillance watchers they held at the Nahal Oz base right on the border with Gaza; the circumstances surrounding their horrific kidnappings. Who can forget the footage from 7 October? The videos released last February of the 5 girls being selected as sex slaves for Hamas? The girls pleading for their lives…bloodied, beaten, abused, terrified. And here they were. Alive. In seemingly good condition.

The video below contains disturbing scenes.

https://youtu.be/ye4k4Ffyvuc?si=NeZAW7VbwoEbzFVb

Just to clarify, months ago Hamas issued an official statement that Daniella Gilboa was dead, which left her family and friends, and all of us here following the story, devastated. On Shabbat, she was one of the ones returning home. We welcome her lovingly, but now maybe you can understand some of the psychological games these evil people play. It had family and friends in mourning but without a body to bury. The week before the ceasefire agreement was signed, a video was released of a pleading Liri Elbag, crying, head in hands, her hair unkept, her eyes sunken.

We have since found out that the captives were fed and given vitamins in the two and a half weeks leading to their freedom. They were only told of the end to their capitivity that Saturday morning. Just prior to their release, they were allowed to shower for the first time in months. They had subsisted on a diet of rice and a pita, sometimes going without food for days. Prohibited from holding hands or crying, at times they had access to radio and TV broadcasts. One of them learned it was her birthday when she heard her parents wish her a happy birthday during a television interview. They saw posters with their faces on them and joked about the particular photos their families had chosen. They were aware of their families struggles. Television coverage of the protests to have them released gave them strength, they said.

Naama Levy was held with Doron Steinbrecher, who was released last week. All the girls had been used as domestic slaves while they were above ground in ‘civilian’ homes. Much of the time they were kept together in a tunnel, sometimes caged. They were dressed in burqas whenever they were moved from place to place. All the girls slept on the floor and were told Hamas had destroyed all their homes. There was nowhere else for them to go. Some of them met with very senior Hamas officials. All four girls found it extremely upsetting when they realized their friend Agam Berger would not be joining them.

New information came out this past week that when Emily Damari (freed last week) was told that she would be released, she informed her captors that she wanted to remain in captivity and that they let go Keith Siegel (65 year old American Israeli) instead. She had spent some time with him in recent weeks. This is a true hero! Of course, Hamas denied that request. Emily was the one who lost two of her fingers, and raised her bandaged hand in a sign of victory over her captors last week.

After 477 days in captivity, they were filmed in a propaganda video, smiling, speaking Arabic and thanking their evil captors for taking such good care of them. They are seen receiving certificates (of appreciation?), souvenir Palestine keychains, lanyards and swag bags before they enter the Red Cross vehicles.

Surrounded by masked, gun carrying Hamas guards and cheering crowds, they make they way from the vehicles and are led onto a stage, where they are paraded before the crowd. Rather than cowering, they are waving and smiling and raising their hands in victory. It is a sign to Israelis of their resilience and toughness. They made a point of not being dehumanized and resolved they would not be humiliated. “We showed them on the stage that we were not fazed. We are stronger than them(sic),” stated Daniella Gilboa.

Obviously these Gazans still had photo printing resources as they had strung up flags and banners throughout Gaza City. The backdrop of the large stage was an immense, official looking canvas banner. The girls were posed for photo ops in front of it. Look closely and read – in Arabic and English: “Palestine: The victory of the oppressed people vs the Nazi Zionism”. “Gaza is the graveyard of the criminal Zionist”. “The Palestinian. Fighters of freedom will always be the victories (sic)”. “Al Aqsa flood revolutionaries against Zionist injustice and criminals.” I had someone translate the aarabic in the middle of the banner for me. It has a picture of an Al Qaassam guard with the words ‘Battle to flood alAqsa.’ That’s the mosque on the Jerusalem Temple Mount. On the desk between the two Palestinian flags is a circular picture of the Dome of the Rock. (which is not even alAqsa). All well-staged propaganda to show the world who was really in control and that they were winning.

At the base of the stage there hung another battle. This one was written in Hebrew, proclaiming “Zionists will never win.”Below the writing are photographs of Netanyahu, the Mi inter of Decense, the head of the IDF, Knesset members. The badges are all symbols of individual IDF units. Beware!!!

And then there was “the glitter lady.” oh my word. If it wasn’t so darned weird, it was just downright hysterical. The woman in the full black burqa throwing handfuls of glitter and confetti onto the Hamas guards. Like a fairy with her basket. The entire scene was just so surreal! Where’d hey get the glitter? Like, there’s no Michael’s down the street that I know of…. just soooo soooo weird!

All of this was to give a show of who is really in command. Because only a legitimate government or organization holding sway over a particular part of land would be able to put in an official ceremony such as that was. The videos of the girls in the Red Cross cars was a fully set up production. All four girls, speaking g in Arabic, were profusely thanking their captors for their clothes, their food, their treatment. They were treated fantastically. And they were even invited to come back. Isn’t that nice? They were even filmed together before their release declaring what a great time they had and smiling and waving for the cameras. May the hand of fortune be upon you! Cheers!

https://youtu.be/dYNlf69SlnM?si=dPpSDcq1opdkk8sW

We’ve been getting all kinds of information out since the release. Liri Elbag had reported for training/duty at Nahal Oz only the Thursday night before that fateful Saturday. The eighteen year old had been serving for only a day and a half there. They had a lovely welcoming party that Thursday night. Of the 19 girls on base from that unit, 7 were abducted, the others killed. One of the abducted soldiers was rescued after two weeks, the other killed by Hamas, her body dumped for the IDF to find.

If you watch the videos of the hostages being returned, many of them had their hair braided. This was done by another hostage, Agam Berger, who was supposed to have been released but was not. Agam has turned her captivity into a resistance symbol by performing small acts of love when she comes into contact with the other hostages. Her signature braids, intricately woven into those about to be released, is a mark of determination and resilience. Last week Doron Steinbrecher reported “Agam braided the hair of the girls she knew were being released, even though she remained behind.”

In the meantime, according to the Israel/Hamas agreement, civilians were to be allowed back into Northern Gaza yesterday. They were not permitted to return yet after many continual violations of the ceasefire agreement, Arbel Yahud , 28, will be set free along with Agam Berger, according to the original agreement. A list of the condition of the remaining captives was also to be honored. Of those still on the initial list of 33, who is alive? Names? They must adhere. Last night the midnight deadline had passed without compliance.

As of this afternoon, after immense pressure, Hamas has agreed to the surrender of Yahud and Arbel on Wednesday….as well as the three hostages set to be freed on Saturday as written. Although the Israeli government still received no names, they received written word: 18 of the remaining captives are alive, 8 are deceased. Israel will hand over 400 convicted Palestinian terrorists. Israel will begin to allow Gazan civilians (uniforms off, I imagine) to cross not the north along the coastal route.

For a genocide, it already looks like the. Children of Israel crossing the Red Sea with Moses. The photos speak for themselves-