What unfolded at the Saraya intersection in the heart of Gaza City was nothing short of remarkable. On the afternoon of the first day following 470 grueling days of war—marked by relentless Israeli military pressure with only a six-day pause after 50 consecutive days of bombardment—the people of Gaza witnessed a sight that seemed almost surreal. Fighters from the Qassam Brigades appeared in full gear and military uniforms in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, an area that bore the brunt of the war.
The fact that the resistance retained prisoners was no surprise, considering its past achievements. In the 2009 war, the resistance ended with a prisoner exchange deal in 2011. Similarly, during the 2014 war, it managed to hold four prisoners whom the Israeli military failed to recover, representing repeated successes in both security and intelligence domains. However, nothing from those previous experiences compares to the challenges of this war. The Israeli military employed cutting-edge Western surveillance and tracking systems, supported by American and British intelligence agencies. They dropped hundreds of tons of explosives on 90% of the homes in Gaza, especially in the northern valley areas.
In this context, the resistance’s bold public display during the handover of the three female prisoners became a powerful symbol of competence and defiance, further influencing the narrative of victory and defeat. This moment was particularly unsettling for the Israeli government and its security institutions. Adding to this, thousands of displaced people, whose homes had been destroyed and loved ones lost during the war, surrounded the resistance fighters. For hours, they celebrated, taking personal photos with the fighters. The young men of the resistance were hoisted onto shoulders, cheered for their bravery, and, at least temporarily, replaced the heartache witnessed in Jabalia Camp with a sense of triumph.
The manner in which the prisoners were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross was equally striking. Despite the intense Israeli military pressure concentrated in northern Gaza and the city itself during the final three months of the war, the resistance meticulously attended to every detail. The fighters appeared in full military uniform, moving in a large convoy of identical modern vehicles and jeeps, maintaining a synchronized, disciplined military formation. The release order for the prisoners, stamped with the emblem of the Qassam Brigades, included a map of Gaza and numerous commemorative photos taken during their captivity. Meanwhile, the Qassam Brigades’ media office documented the handover moment, while a dedicated security team managed the tens of thousands of spectators who gathered to witness the historic event.
Ultimately, on the very first day after the war’s end, the resistance successfully established its own narrative, countering that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The last thing Netanyahu wanted was for Gaza to emerge the next day with scenes of Qassam fighters publicly handing over prisoners beneath the barrels of their rifles, surrounded by a jubilant public that made it seem as though the war had never occurred.
