What do the scenes of the release of Israeli female hostages say about Hamas after 15 months of war?
When three Israeli female hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza on Sunday night, the video of that momentous moment was not only filmed by Hamas but also later edited and released to the media.
The three female hostages were handed khaki bags with the words “Al-Aqsa Storm” written on them (i.e. Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023).
According to several reports published in the Israeli media, these bags contained photographs and certificates of release.
The videos released by Hamas are focusing a lot on the gathering of people. How many people and who were involved, and what does this tell us about Hamas’s strength after a long and devastating 15-month war?
BBC Verified has examined footage released by Hamas to find out.
What was Hamas trying to show?
Image caption Each female hostage was given a khaki bag upon release
The location where the hostages were handed over to the Red Cross was Al-Saraya Square in central Gaza City. We have geolocated this location on a map using video footage of the release and old photographs.
The video released by Hamas shows a large crowd, packed into a tight space.
Some of the people present are dressed in the uniforms of Hamas’ elite units and are carrying guns. This seems to suggest that despite the long war, many senior fighters are still alive and operating in Gaza and perhaps, judging by the size of the crowd, they are still in control.
However, we do not know who the masked men actually were.
How much damage has the 15-month war caused in the Gaza Strip and how long will it take to recover?
January 18, 2025
How much damage has the 15-month war caused in the Gaza Strip and how long will it take to recover?
January 18, 2025
Yahya Sinwar’s last moments: When the Hamas leader threw a stick at an Israeli drone before he died
October 19, 2024
Hamas: How did the Palestinian organization specializing in ‘tunnel warfare’ become a military force and where does it get its weapons?
October 9, 2023
A video posted on the social networking website ‘X’ shows a man in a Hamas uniform directing the gathering. He tells them to ‘step back’, perhaps because the crowd there was spoiling the scene Hamas wanted to show.
The drone footage shows people gathered in some places while people are scattered around. In these scenes, it also seems that some people are just passing by, that is, passers-by.
Gaza, Hamas, hostages, Israel
Image source: GETTY IMAGES
Image caption: Drone footage of hostages being released
How many people could have been in the crowd?
From some of the scenes, we can estimate how many people were gathered here. BBC Verify has tried to count them one by one and the number comes to around 1,400. These are not exact figures, but they help us to estimate the number of people in the crowd to some extent.
A crowd expert told BBC Verify that there were between 1,100 and 2,200 people, taking into account the size of the place and the density of the gathering.
Gaza, Hamas, Hostages, Israel
, Image source: GETTY IMAGES
In one scene, some people can also be seen wearing Hamas uniforms and standing very close to the vehicles carrying the female hostages during the hostage-taking process. These people are in the minority.
The Red Cross has said that the transfer of the hostages was a complex process and required solid security measures.
It should be noted that more Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released in the next stages of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire.
