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The Media Was Hamas’ ‘Gift’ in Latest Grotesque Parade of Israeli Hostages

US-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen and Russian-Israeli Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov, hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, are escorted by Palestinian Hamas terrorists and Islamic Jihad terrorists as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, February 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

There was an air of inevitability to the coverage of this week’s Israeli-hostage-Palestinian prisoner exchanges, a key part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

From the moment the grotesque spectacle began — set against a freshly adorned stage draped in banners splashed with slogans in Arabic and broken Hebrew — it was clear that Hamas had choreographed this show for at least two audiences, each meant to take away very different messages.

The first was, of course, Israel. Hamas wanted to send a message to the Israeli public — the very people it had so brutally attacked on October 7 — that it remained unbowed and undefeated. That it was just as capable of unleashing another wave of terror on Israeli civilians.

That’s why Hamas operatives arrived dressed in stolen IDF uniforms, brandishing Israeli weapons looted from their October 7 massacre. That’s why the hostages were transported to the release point in a vehicle stolen on that same day. It was psychological warfare wrapped in a grotesque display of theater.

And then there was the “gift.”

Hamas handed hostage Iair Horn a package to take back to Israel — a twisted reminder that his younger brother, Eitan, remains in captivity. It was an hourglass. Placed in Horn’s hands as he stood sandwiched between masked men, he was forced to hold it aloft for the cameras and the crowd. Inscribed on it were the faces of hostage Matan Zangauker and his mother, Einav — a prominent advocate for the release of the captives — alongside a chilling message: “Time is running out.”

Another intended recipient of Hamas’ performance was the international media. With billions of people in their reach, these outlets inform the masses — and as we have seen, many have been all too willing to launder Hamas’ image, buying into its propaganda. That’s why Hamas has eagerly invited journalists to film these grotesque spectacles, confident that much of the press will fail to call them what they are.

For Israelis, these weekly parades of innocent people, who have now been held for nearly 500 days, have been nightmarish. It is gut-wrenching to watch them marched onstage like props in a performance before they can be welcomed home. And the sick “mementos” handed to them week after week? They are not gifts.

Which is why it was so disappointing to see these terror tactics described as such. When CNN called an hourglass — intended for the mother of a man still held captive, inscribed with a threat to murder him — ”memorabilia,” it wasn’t just inaccurate. It was obscene. It is difficult to believe that any journalist, in any context, could not find a more appropriate word.

And when Hamas “gifted” hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen a pair of earrings for the infant daughter he had never met — born while he was in captivity — it was not a touching gesture. It was a message. A warning. A reminder that Hamas can reach even the most innocent, just as it did on October 7, when dozens of children were murdered.

But for much of the press, this is ignored. Once again, Hamas finds a willing accomplice in the international media, which dutifully presents a sanitized version of a bloodthirsty terrorist group. This, even as Hamas operatives literally stand on a stage draped in images of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, with propaganda images of the October 7 massacres in the background, alongside a message to the world (and a reference to former US President Donald Trump’s migration policy): “No migration except to Jerusalem.”

We said there was an air of inevitability to this week’s coverage — coverage that, we should note, saw Sky News once again repeat the insidious on-air claim that “Palestinian hostages” were being exchanged for Israelis held in Gaza.

We’ve seen this distortion countless times before: the press’s unwillingness to ever truly acknowledge Israelis as victims — even when they have been slaughtered in their homes, held hostage for months, paraded onstage like trophies, and handed explicit threats disguised as “gifts.”

Instead, what do we get? Earnest coverage about how terrified an International Red Cross worker must have felt speaking to Hamas terrorists at the exchange — but not a word about the stunned, hollow-eyed captives being marched before a crowd by the very men who kidnapped them over 15 months ago.

Hamas may wish to project an image of strength, to strike fear into Israeli society — among ordinary people who simply want to live in peace. It won’t succeed. But its vile attempt is aided by credulous journalists eager to repackage its propaganda and soften its image. Whether they do so wittingly or not, the effect remains the same.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

The post The Media Was Hamas’ ‘Gift’ in Latest Grotesque Parade of Israeli Hostages first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War

Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.

Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.

“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”

GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’

Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.

“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.

“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.

“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.

After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”

RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL

Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”

Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.

“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”

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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests

A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco

Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.

People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.

“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”

Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.

On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.

Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.

On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.

“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.

Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.

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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan

Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.

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