A group of friends Arbel Yehoud watch in tears and worried silence as the Israeli hostage appeared to be freed, surrounded by a large crowd of Palestinians.
The friends sat in anxious silence at a private home in southern Israel as they watched a TV showing the large crowd of Palestinians gathered at the release point in Gaza. Some cried, others had their hands over their eyes or mouths.
When a news anchor said the situation appeared dangerous, one yells at her to “shut up.”
People began crying when Yehoud was seen walking through the hostile crowd, escorted by gunmen, followed by reports that she had been turned over to the Red Cross.
Most of the 20 or so people were survivors of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack, including three former hostages released in a November 2023 ceasefire.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel - and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I'll give
Yes, I'll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 30, 2025
