We are a military that is very proud to implement the [government’s] policy, to implement the decision to return the hostages, and we will be just as proud to return and fight,” Halevi

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Eight hostages − three Israelis and five Thai nationals − were returned to Israel on Thursday after spending 482 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza. They were freed in an at-times chaotic handover in connection with a weeks-long ceasefire and hostages-for-prisoners swap between Israel and the militant group aimed at ending 15 months of fighting.