Dozens of Hamas fighters gather at key Gaza square for hostage handover

TDT | Manama

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Dozens of masked, armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants arrived at a key square in Gaza City on Saturday, where four Israeli women hostages are expected to be handed over to the Red Cross, an AFP reporter said.

The fighters, carrying assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers gathered in rows, many carrying their groups' banners and wearing green headbands, as crowds of Gaza residents gathered around them to watch.

In contrast to chaotic scenes the week before, when crowds threatened to overwhelm vehicles holding the three hostages released at the time, on Saturday the militants quickly established a cordon around the square keeping the crowds back.

Sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad told AFP they had deployed around 200 members of their armed wings, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades respectively, to secure Palestine Square where the handover was to happen.

The fighters were deployed around a stage, built in front of a bomb-scarred shopping centre adorned with a giant Palestinian flag. Above them was bunting with the Palestinian and Hamas flags.

Flanked by pickup trucks mounted with high-calibre guns, more than a dozen fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad stood on the stage which was adorned with the emblems of the Israeli military and security services and the message, in Hebrew, "Zionism will not prevail".

Off to one side, dozens of Gazans including young children and teenagers had scaled a huge mound of rubble in front of a collapsed building to secure a view of the expected release.

Separately, the Israeli military said it had completed preparations for receiving the four women hostages, all Israeli soldiers, to be released later on Saturday.

According to the Israeli Hostage and Missing Families Forum, a campaign group, the women due for release are Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy -- all aged 20 -- and Liri Albag, 19.