1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Claire Harvey. 2 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: It's Tuesday, October fourteen, twenty twenty five, two years and 3 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: seven days since the horror of the October seven Hamas 4 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: massacre in southern Israel. The last living Israeli hostages are free, starved, abused, 5 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: held in tunnels and tormented by the terror group. The 6 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: twenty hostages freed include two soldiers and several men seized 7 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: from private homes in kibbutz communities, as well as revelers 8 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: from the Nova music festival and security guards who were 9 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: working at the dance party. Israel has also released nearly 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: two thousand Palestinians from prison, to scenes of wild celebrations 11 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: in the gazen city of Carnunis. More on that story 12 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: in a moment, and of course you can follow the 13 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: latest at the Australian Dot. In other news today, a 14 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: huge back down by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on his plan 15 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: to tax unrealized capital gains on superannuation balances over three 16 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: million dollars. Chalmers has dramatically scaled back the plan, but 17 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: says he hasn't been forced to back down by the 18 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Today, the view from the Middle East with 19 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: our correspondence on the ground, after seven hundred and thirty 20 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: seven days freedom on a glorious clear skies morning, in 21 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,919 Speaker 1: a tiny slip of land which has known so much heartbreak. 22 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: Our reporter Liam Mendez was on the ground as Israelis 23 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: finally saw the pictures that mark the end of a 24 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: living hell. You can barely hear Liam over the celebrations 25 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: in Hostages Square in a sea of blue and white 26 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Israeli flags. The last twenty living hostages held by Hamas 27 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: since October seven, twenty twenty three are all men civilians, 28 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: mainly two soldiers, security guards, fathers, twin brothers, boyfriend's sons. 29 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 2: The first thing Hamas did was connect these young men 30 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 2: with their families via video calls, which really speaks to 31 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 2: the surreal nature of this conflict. And so we just 32 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 2: see some of these young men appearing on FaceTime calls 33 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 2: with their families and speaking to them for the first 34 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 2: time in two years, in some cases, often with our 35 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 2: Hamas captor standing masked in the background, watching on listening 36 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 2: to these interviews. 37 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 3: JOHNI. 38 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: Bashan has been reporting on the ground for Israel and 39 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 1: Gaza since the war began two years ago. 40 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 2: But in all cases these hostages, they've been underground for 41 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: the past two years, so they appeared as you would expect, pale, gaunt, 42 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,239 Speaker 2: mountain nourished. They looked in some cases like they did 43 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 2: in the proof of life videos that have been released 44 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 2: over the past twelve to twenty four months. Their voices 45 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: sounded surprisingly strong, but they're obviously experiencing a very happy 46 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 2: occasion to be ending their nightmare in Gaza, so they 47 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 2: did sound good. We know that some people in the 48 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 2: second group appeared to be in quite a die away 49 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: when we saw them in their proof of life videos, 50 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: appearing skeletal, emaciated, in one case dicking his own grave 51 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 2: in a tunnel. 52 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: The hostages were released first to the Red Cross in Gaza, 53 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: then driven across the border to Israel's m military base, 54 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: where they were reunited with their families, and then medically 55 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: assist before being airlifted north. So who are the hostages 56 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 1: who are now free at last? On October seven, twenty 57 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: twenty three, Matana Ungrest was a fit young Israeli doing 58 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: his compulsory military service when Hermas took him prisoner. You 59 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: can see in a stomach churning video his limp body 60 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: being held by her MASS fighters, then tumbling from the 61 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,239 Speaker 1: top of a tank as men surround him. Five hundred 62 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 1: days later, her Mass released video of an exhausted looking Angrest, 63 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: saying he was losing hope. 64 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 3: Shalom klimly Matan angrest oktobers Ungrest was one of only 65 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 3: two soldiers still alive in her master's custody. 66 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: The other is another young man, Nimrod Khan, who was 67 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: captured when his tank caught fire in southern Israel. Islamik Jihad, 68 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:32,479 Speaker 1: which was holding security guard Rom Breslovski, forced him to 69 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: record a video showing his emaciated body. In the video, 70 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: Breslovski said he couldn't walk and begged for more food. 71 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 1: One of the most distressing videos her Mass released showed 72 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: Evata David in a tunnel looking like a skeleton, digging 73 00:05:58,080 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 1: his own grave. 74 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 3: A social shash Demisler sagging me all. 75 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: David was with his friend Guy Gilboa Delao at the 76 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: Nova dance party, a bunch of free spirited kids gathered 77 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: in southern Israel. Two of their friends were murdered at 78 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: the party. A previously freed hostage has described Guy and 79 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: Evatar enduring malnutrition and torture. They were reportedly forced to 80 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: sit facing a wall with black bags over their heads 81 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: for long periods of time. Still to return are the 82 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 1: corpses of remaining hostages who've died in the world's darkest places. 83 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: They include an eighty five year old man abducted from 84 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: his kibbutz and a twenty seven year old woman in 85 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: Bar Hayman, abducted from the Nova festival and killed in captivity. 86 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: There's an African student, a Thai farm worker, and a 87 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: taxi driver, all seized by HAMAS during their rampage. 88 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 2: What complicates this matter logistically is that HAMAS doesn't hold 89 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 2: all of the bodies of the captives. There are other 90 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 2: factions in Gaza and they have custody of some of 91 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 2: these bodies. And we also know, because FAMAS has made 92 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 2: this point several times, that some of the dead captives 93 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 2: are hidden under rubble or they're located in areas that 94 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 2: are particularly difficult to reach, just because of the circumstances 95 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 2: of the war. But so this is an operation that 96 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 2: is being coordinated by a number of different parties. It 97 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: does involve from US, of course, but it also involves 98 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 2: members of Palestinian Islamic she Had. They've been holding captives 99 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 2: this entire time, and obviously you've seen some differences in 100 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 2: the treatment between some of the captives between the two groups. 101 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 2: Those who've spent time in Hamas captivity have often reported 102 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 2: slightly better conditions. Those who've spent time in Palestinian Islamic 103 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 2: she Had captivity very different conditions. So the time that 104 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 2: one spent in Gaza as a hostage really depended on 105 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 2: who they were being held by, whereabouts, and at what 106 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 2: point in time they were being held. 107 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: Israel held up its end of the deal, releasing more 108 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: than nineteen hundred Palestinian prisoners. That includes seventeen hundred Palestinians 109 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: detained in Gaza during the war and another two hundred 110 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: and fifty prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli prisons. 111 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 2: They belonged to Kamas, they also belonged to Palestinian islamicis 112 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 2: he Had, and they also belonged to the secular Palestinian 113 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 2: nationalist group concentrated in the West Bank called Fattah. One 114 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 2: of the people being released, if I could combde you 115 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 2: with a case study, is a man by the name 116 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 2: of Ziad Ahwad, and he was originally released in twenty 117 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 2: eleven under the deal to free Corporal Gilad Shalit. That 118 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 2: was an Israeli soldier that was taken hostage by Hamas, 119 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 2: kept in captivity for five years, and when he was released, 120 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 2: there were more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners was swapped 121 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 2: for his life, and one of them was this man 122 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,319 Speaker 2: named Ziad Ahwad, and he'd been in prison for allegedly 123 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 2: murdering a number of so called collaborators with Israeli authority. 124 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 2: So these were Palistinians who had been killed. And after 125 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: he was released three years later, he took up a 126 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 2: position on a roadside approaching the town of Hebron. He 127 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 2: armed himself with an assault rifle and he waited for 128 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 2: a passing car, and that passing car happened to belong 129 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 2: to the Mizrachi family. He opened fire on the car 130 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 2: and shot a number of bullets into it, instantly killing 131 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:28,200 Speaker 2: the driver, Baruch Misrachi, and injuring quite badly his pregnant wife. 132 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 2: Her name is Hadas, and we spoke to her over 133 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 2: the weekend. 134 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 4: My husband, Bach Mislachi was murdered in Revron in two 135 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 4: thy fourteen. Now the terrorists, the father and his son 136 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 4: who murdered my husband, we're getting released. 137 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: Everyone in Israel is elated with the arrival of the 138 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 2: hostages back in Israel, but there's a steep price to 139 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 2: pay for some Israelis in order to bring them home. 140 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 2: And Hadas Misrahi is one of those people. And what 141 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 2: she said to me was essentially, there is a great 142 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 2: deal of happiness the hostages, an enormous amount of happiness, 143 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: but fur there is a sense of betrayal, and there 144 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:07,839 Speaker 2: is a sense of sadness. And it hurts a lot 145 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 2: to know that just ten years ago the man who 146 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 2: took her husband's life was given a life sentence for 147 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 2: the crime. He's supposed to be serving life. And in 148 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 2: Australia we know life as being life in jail. But 149 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 2: here in Israel there's a slightly different calculus with people 150 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 2: who are in prison for terrorism. And it's because they 151 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 2: know that if they waited out long enough, they can 152 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 2: envision the situation in which hostages are taken held by 153 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 2: a terrorist group and then bartered for their release. And 154 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 2: that appears to be quite sadly and cynically. What's happened 155 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 2: in this case. 156 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: Those life sentence prisoners have been told they'll be exiled 157 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: from the West Bank and will be taken to Egypt. 158 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: Their families also claim they've been threatened by Israeli officials 159 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: not to publicly celebrate the releases or host family parties 160 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:06,319 Speaker 1: coming up. Donald Trump addresses the Kanesset. Donald Trump addressed 161 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: Israel's parliament, the Kanesset, on Monday night, before traveling to 162 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: Egypt for a peace summit co convened with Egyptian President 163 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: Abdel Fatah LCC. The topic how to turn the ceasefire 164 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: into a lasting peace. 165 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 5: The hostages are back. The hostages are back. It is 166 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 5: a good feeling. That nice to say. Peace through strength, 167 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 5: and that's what it's all about. The United States has 168 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 5: the greatest and most powerful military in the right now 169 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 5: history of the world. I can tell you we have 170 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 5: weapons that nobody has ever dreamt of. They only hope 171 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 5: we never have to use them. For so many families 172 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 5: across this land, it has been years since you've known 173 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 5: a single day of true peace. 174 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 3: But now, at. 175 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 5: Last, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and 176 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 5: for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over. 177 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: Even before Donald Trump boarded Air Force One, he kept 178 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: saying that the war is over. It's absolutely over. This 179 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: is yet, and he's very confident that Hamas is going 180 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:39,079 Speaker 1: to disarm. Not confident. Do you think Israelis feel about that? 181 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 2: What certainly a remark that's being made by some of 182 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 2: the hostage families and some of the people who've gathered 183 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 2: at Hostage Square. And I think it's partly motivated by 184 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:50,679 Speaker 2: not just optimism, but a great deal of hope. I 185 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 2: think everyone in Israel really wants the war to be over. 186 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 2: And I'm sure there are plenty of people in Gaza 187 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 2: who want the water web ended, and plenty of people 188 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:01,280 Speaker 2: around the world feel the same way. But there are 189 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 2: a couple of realities that need to come into effect 190 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 2: for the water to truly be over, and key amongst 191 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 2: them is that Hamas needs to lay down its arms 192 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: and its leaders need to go into exile. And on 193 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 2: its face, they appear to have committed to do that, 194 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 2: But where only the first phase of this deal, And 195 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 2: the first phase really was to get the hostages, all 196 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,319 Speaker 2: forty eight of them alive and dead, out of Gaza. 197 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 2: The next phase of that is going to be the 198 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 2: real test for Hamas to see if it really does disarm, 199 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: and if it does so, then the expectation is that 200 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 2: the Israeli defense forces will pull out of Ghazan territory 201 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 2: entirely or almost entirely, and it will create an opportunity 202 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 2: for the Palestinian population there to rebuild their lives, to 203 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,199 Speaker 2: be done with the tunnels, and for some kind of 204 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 2: civil authority to come in and rebuild the territory and 205 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 2: improve their lives and create a circumstance of flourishing for them. 206 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 2: But all of that is contingent on whether Kamas does 207 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 2: actually disarm, and that remains to be soon. 208 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: Joanni Vashan and Liam Mendez are in the Middle East 209 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: for The Australian. You can check out their reporting and 210 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: all our coverage right now at the Australian dot com 211 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: dot au