According to the Israeli army, it has prepared several locations dedicated to the initial reception of the released captives.
It was reported that the freed captives will be flown home under military guard, with measures meant to reduce the duress and attend to any immediate medical complications.
In a statement, the army asked the public to respect hostages’ privacy.
“After the initial reception and medical treatment, the released hostages will continue to hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families,” it said in the statement.
The Israeli army added that four helicopters with medical teams and soldiers on board will be tasked with completing the return of the captives after their reception.
The helicopter crews would include a commando squad, doctors and liaison officers with training in communication and counselling; the first Israelis to greet the freed captives.
An official disclosed that among other measures designed to reduce stress would be the issuing of noise-cancelling headphones, including for the children among them, “to make the flight experience easier and provide them with peace and quiet.”
Health officials said separately that the hostages would receive psychological attention and specialized care for any who may have been sexual assaulted.
Local media reports claim that while the adults released can expect to be questioned by Israeli security officials for information about their captivity and the fate of the others still held by Hamas, the child hostages will be spared this, local media reports have reported.
Meanwhile, Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told a news agency that the group is open to negotiating to release even more civilian captives currently held in Gaza, including men.
However, in regards to Israeli soldiers held captive, Hamad remarked, “This is another story.”
“At this phase, we are talking about the civilian hostages. Regarding others, we are looking for a comprehensive swap and exchange to release all [7,200] prisoners in Israeli detention centres. This is our goal and aim.
“But we will wait and see. We have full patience, power and energy to do that … Israel must release all the prisoners, and we are ready to release the Israeli soldiers.”
Ghazi Hamad
Many displaced Palestinians have attempted to reach their homes in northern Gaza, despite the Israeli military’s warnings.
A news agency reported that at least two people were shot and killed by Israeli troops and another 11 were wounded in the legs.
A journalist with the news agency saw the two bodies and the wounded as they arrived at a hospital.
Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, opined that the release of some Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails is “promising” as it could “open the road for a complete exchange of prisoners.”
“That means the release of all Palestinian prisoners put in Israeli jails, many of whom – at least 1,200 – are without due charges, without due legal process,” he said.
Barghouti said recent developments showed that three “taboos” of the Israeli government had been broken.
He said that the first one was to accept that there would be an exchange of people being held. The second was accepting a pause for four days, Barghouti added.
“Third, that Netanyahu said, the only way he will deal with Hamas is to uproot them completely and now he’s negotiating with them and even making a deal with them.
“But the most important thing that we shouldn’t forget about is that this ceasefire must continue because the massacres in Gaza have to stop.”
Mustafa Barghouti
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