WEBVTT - Free at last - but some hostages will never return

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<v Speaker 1>From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Claire Harvey.

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<v Speaker 1>It's Tuesday, October fourteen, twenty twenty five, two years and

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<v Speaker 1>seven days since the horror of the October seven Hamas

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<v Speaker 1>massacre in southern Israel. The last living Israeli hostages are free, starved, abused,

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<v Speaker 1>held in tunnels and tormented by the terror group. The

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<v Speaker 1>twenty hostages freed include two soldiers and several men seized

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<v Speaker 1>from private homes in kibbutz communities, as well as revelers

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<v Speaker 1>from the Nova music festival and security guards who were

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<v Speaker 1>working at the dance party. Israel has also released nearly

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand Palestinians from prison, to scenes of wild celebrations

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<v Speaker 1>in the gazen city of Carnunis. More on that story

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<v Speaker 1>in a moment, and of course you can follow the

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<v Speaker 1>latest at the Australian Dot. In other news today, a

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<v Speaker 1>huge back down by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on his plan

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<v Speaker 1>to tax unrealized capital gains on superannuation balances over three

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<v Speaker 1>million dollars. Chalmers has dramatically scaled back the plan, but

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<v Speaker 1>says he hasn't been forced to back down by the

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<v Speaker 1>Prime Minister Today, the view from the Middle East with

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<v Speaker 1>our correspondence on the ground, after seven hundred and thirty

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<v Speaker 1>seven days freedom on a glorious clear skies morning, in

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<v Speaker 1>a tiny slip of land which has known so much heartbreak.

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<v Speaker 1>Our reporter Liam Mendez was on the ground as Israelis

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<v Speaker 1>finally saw the pictures that mark the end of a

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<v Speaker 1>living hell. You can barely hear Liam over the celebrations

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<v Speaker 1>in Hostages Square in a sea of blue and white

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<v Speaker 1>Israeli flags. The last twenty living hostages held by Hamas

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<v Speaker 1>since October seven, twenty twenty three are all men civilians,

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<v Speaker 1>mainly two soldiers, security guards, fathers, twin brothers, boyfriend's sons.

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<v Speaker 2>The first thing Hamas did was connect these young men

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<v Speaker 2>with their families via video calls, which really speaks to

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<v Speaker 2>the surreal nature of this conflict. And so we just

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<v Speaker 2>see some of these young men appearing on FaceTime calls

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<v Speaker 2>with their families and speaking to them for the first

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<v Speaker 2>time in two years, in some cases, often with our

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<v Speaker 2>Hamas captor standing masked in the background, watching on listening

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<v Speaker 2>to these interviews.

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<v Speaker 3>JOHNI.

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<v Speaker 1>Bashan has been reporting on the ground for Israel and

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<v Speaker 1>Gaza since the war began two years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>But in all cases these hostages, they've been underground for

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<v Speaker 2>the past two years, so they appeared as you would expect, pale, gaunt,

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<v Speaker 2>mountain nourished. They looked in some cases like they did

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<v Speaker 2>in the proof of life videos that have been released

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<v Speaker 2>over the past twelve to twenty four months. Their voices

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<v Speaker 2>sounded surprisingly strong, but they're obviously experiencing a very happy

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<v Speaker 2>occasion to be ending their nightmare in Gaza, so they

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<v Speaker 2>did sound good. We know that some people in the

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<v Speaker 2>second group appeared to be in quite a die away

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<v Speaker 2>when we saw them in their proof of life videos,

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<v Speaker 2>appearing skeletal, emaciated, in one case dicking his own grave

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<v Speaker 2>in a tunnel.

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<v Speaker 1>The hostages were released first to the Red Cross in Gaza,

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<v Speaker 1>then driven across the border to Israel's m military base,

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<v Speaker 1>where they were reunited with their families, and then medically

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<v Speaker 1>assist before being airlifted north. So who are the hostages

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<v Speaker 1>who are now free at last? On October seven, twenty

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<v Speaker 1>twenty three, Matana Ungrest was a fit young Israeli doing

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<v Speaker 1>his compulsory military service when Hermas took him prisoner. You

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<v Speaker 1>can see in a stomach churning video his limp body

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<v Speaker 1>being held by her MASS fighters, then tumbling from the

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<v Speaker 1>top of a tank as men surround him. Five hundred

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<v Speaker 1>days later, her Mass released video of an exhausted looking Angrest,

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<v Speaker 1>saying he was losing hope.

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<v Speaker 3>Shalom klimly Matan angrest oktobers Ungrest was one of only

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<v Speaker 3>two soldiers still alive in her master's custody.

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<v Speaker 1>The other is another young man, Nimrod Khan, who was

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<v Speaker 1>captured when his tank caught fire in southern Israel. Islamik Jihad,

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<v Speaker 1>which was holding security guard Rom Breslovski, forced him to

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<v Speaker 1>record a video showing his emaciated body. In the video,

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<v Speaker 1>Breslovski said he couldn't walk and begged for more food.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the most distressing videos her Mass released showed

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<v Speaker 1>Evata David in a tunnel looking like a skeleton, digging

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<v Speaker 1>his own grave.

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<v Speaker 3>A social shash Demisler sagging me all.

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<v Speaker 1>David was with his friend Guy Gilboa Delao at the

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<v Speaker 1>Nova dance party, a bunch of free spirited kids gathered

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<v Speaker 1>in southern Israel. Two of their friends were murdered at

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<v Speaker 1>the party. A previously freed hostage has described Guy and

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<v Speaker 1>Evatar enduring malnutrition and torture. They were reportedly forced to

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<v Speaker 1>sit facing a wall with black bags over their heads

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<v Speaker 1>for long periods of time. Still to return are the

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<v Speaker 1>corpses of remaining hostages who've died in the world's darkest places.

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<v Speaker 1>They include an eighty five year old man abducted from

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<v Speaker 1>his kibbutz and a twenty seven year old woman in

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<v Speaker 1>Bar Hayman, abducted from the Nova festival and killed in captivity.

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<v Speaker 1>There's an African student, a Thai farm worker, and a

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<v Speaker 1>taxi driver, all seized by HAMAS during their rampage.

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<v Speaker 2>What complicates this matter logistically is that HAMAS doesn't hold

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<v Speaker 2>all of the bodies of the captives. There are other

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<v Speaker 2>factions in Gaza and they have custody of some of

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<v Speaker 2>these bodies. And we also know, because FAMAS has made

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<v Speaker 2>this point several times, that some of the dead captives

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<v Speaker 2>are hidden under rubble or they're located in areas that

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<v Speaker 2>are particularly difficult to reach, just because of the circumstances

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<v Speaker 2>of the war. But so this is an operation that

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<v Speaker 2>is being coordinated by a number of different parties. It

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<v Speaker 2>does involve from US, of course, but it also involves

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<v Speaker 2>members of Palestinian Islamic she Had. They've been holding captives

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<v Speaker 2>this entire time, and obviously you've seen some differences in

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<v Speaker 2>the treatment between some of the captives between the two groups.

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<v Speaker 2>Those who've spent time in Hamas captivity have often reported

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<v Speaker 2>slightly better conditions. Those who've spent time in Palestinian Islamic

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<v Speaker 2>she Had captivity very different conditions. So the time that

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<v Speaker 2>one spent in Gaza as a hostage really depended on

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<v Speaker 2>who they were being held by, whereabouts, and at what

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<v Speaker 2>point in time they were being held.

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<v Speaker 1>Israel held up its end of the deal, releasing more

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<v Speaker 1>than nineteen hundred Palestinian prisoners. That includes seventeen hundred Palestinians

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<v Speaker 1>detained in Gaza during the war and another two hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and fifty prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli prisons.

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<v Speaker 2>They belonged to Kamas, they also belonged to Palestinian islamicis

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<v Speaker 2>he Had, and they also belonged to the secular Palestinian

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<v Speaker 2>nationalist group concentrated in the West Bank called Fattah. One

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<v Speaker 2>of the people being released, if I could combde you

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<v Speaker 2>with a case study, is a man by the name

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<v Speaker 2>of Ziad Ahwad, and he was originally released in twenty

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<v Speaker 2>eleven under the deal to free Corporal Gilad Shalit. That

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<v Speaker 2>was an Israeli soldier that was taken hostage by Hamas,

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<v Speaker 2>kept in captivity for five years, and when he was released,

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<v Speaker 2>there were more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners was swapped

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<v Speaker 2>for his life, and one of them was this man

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<v Speaker 2>named Ziad Ahwad, and he'd been in prison for allegedly

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<v Speaker 2>murdering a number of so called collaborators with Israeli authority.

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<v Speaker 2>So these were Palistinians who had been killed. And after

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<v Speaker 2>he was released three years later, he took up a

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<v Speaker 2>position on a roadside approaching the town of Hebron. He

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<v Speaker 2>armed himself with an assault rifle and he waited for

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<v Speaker 2>a passing car, and that passing car happened to belong

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<v Speaker 2>to the Mizrachi family. He opened fire on the car

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<v Speaker 2>and shot a number of bullets into it, instantly killing

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<v Speaker 2>the driver, Baruch Misrachi, and injuring quite badly his pregnant wife.

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<v Speaker 2>Her name is Hadas, and we spoke to her over

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<v Speaker 2>the weekend.

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<v Speaker 4>My husband, Bach Mislachi was murdered in Revron in two

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<v Speaker 4>thy fourteen. Now the terrorists, the father and his son

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<v Speaker 4>who murdered my husband, we're getting released.

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<v Speaker 2>Everyone in Israel is elated with the arrival of the

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<v Speaker 2>hostages back in Israel, but there's a steep price to

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<v Speaker 2>pay for some Israelis in order to bring them home.

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<v Speaker 2>And Hadas Misrahi is one of those people. And what

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<v Speaker 2>she said to me was essentially, there is a great

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<v Speaker 2>deal of happiness the hostages, an enormous amount of happiness,

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<v Speaker 2>but fur there is a sense of betrayal, and there

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<v Speaker 2>is a sense of sadness. And it hurts a lot

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<v Speaker 2>to know that just ten years ago the man who

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<v Speaker 2>took her husband's life was given a life sentence for

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<v Speaker 2>the crime. He's supposed to be serving life. And in

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<v Speaker 2>Australia we know life as being life in jail. But

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<v Speaker 2>here in Israel there's a slightly different calculus with people

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<v Speaker 2>who are in prison for terrorism. And it's because they

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<v Speaker 2>know that if they waited out long enough, they can

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<v Speaker 2>envision the situation in which hostages are taken held by

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<v Speaker 2>a terrorist group and then bartered for their release. And

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<v Speaker 2>that appears to be quite sadly and cynically. What's happened

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<v Speaker 2>in this case.

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<v Speaker 1>Those life sentence prisoners have been told they'll be exiled

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<v Speaker 1>from the West Bank and will be taken to Egypt.

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<v Speaker 1>Their families also claim they've been threatened by Israeli officials

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<v Speaker 1>not to publicly celebrate the releases or host family parties

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<v Speaker 1>coming up. Donald Trump addresses the Kanesset. Donald Trump addressed

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<v Speaker 1>Israel's parliament, the Kanesset, on Monday night, before traveling to

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<v Speaker 1>Egypt for a peace summit co convened with Egyptian President

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<v Speaker 1>Abdel Fatah LCC. The topic how to turn the ceasefire

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<v Speaker 1>into a lasting peace.

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<v Speaker 5>The hostages are back. The hostages are back. It is

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<v Speaker 5>a good feeling. That nice to say. Peace through strength,

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<v Speaker 5>and that's what it's all about. The United States has

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<v Speaker 5>the greatest and most powerful military in the right now

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<v Speaker 5>history of the world. I can tell you we have

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<v Speaker 5>weapons that nobody has ever dreamt of. They only hope

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<v Speaker 5>we never have to use them. For so many families

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<v Speaker 5>across this land, it has been years since you've known

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<v Speaker 5>a single day of true peace.

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<v Speaker 3>But now, at.

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<v Speaker 5>Last, not only for Israelis, but also for Palestinians and

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<v Speaker 5>for many others, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.

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<v Speaker 1>Even before Donald Trump boarded Air Force One, he kept

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<v Speaker 1>saying that the war is over. It's absolutely over. This

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<v Speaker 1>is yet, and he's very confident that Hamas is going

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<v Speaker 1>to disarm. Not confident. Do you think Israelis feel about that?

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<v Speaker 2>What certainly a remark that's being made by some of

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<v Speaker 2>the hostage families and some of the people who've gathered

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<v Speaker 2>at Hostage Square. And I think it's partly motivated by

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<v Speaker 2>not just optimism, but a great deal of hope. I

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<v Speaker 2>think everyone in Israel really wants the war to be over.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm sure there are plenty of people in Gaza

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<v Speaker 2>who want the water web ended, and plenty of people

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<v Speaker 2>around the world feel the same way. But there are

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<v Speaker 2>a couple of realities that need to come into effect

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<v Speaker 2>for the water to truly be over, and key amongst

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<v Speaker 2>them is that Hamas needs to lay down its arms

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<v Speaker 2>and its leaders need to go into exile. And on

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<v Speaker 2>its face, they appear to have committed to do that,

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<v Speaker 2>But where only the first phase of this deal, And

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<v Speaker 2>the first phase really was to get the hostages, all

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<v Speaker 2>forty eight of them alive and dead, out of Gaza.

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<v Speaker 2>The next phase of that is going to be the

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<v Speaker 2>real test for Hamas to see if it really does disarm,

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<v Speaker 2>and if it does so, then the expectation is that

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<v Speaker 2>the Israeli defense forces will pull out of Ghazan territory

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<v Speaker 2>entirely or almost entirely, and it will create an opportunity

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<v Speaker 2>for the Palestinian population there to rebuild their lives, to

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<v Speaker 2>be done with the tunnels, and for some kind of

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<v Speaker 2>civil authority to come in and rebuild the territory and

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<v Speaker 2>improve their lives and create a circumstance of flourishing for them.

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<v Speaker 2>But all of that is contingent on whether Kamas does

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<v Speaker 2>actually disarm, and that remains to be soon.

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<v Speaker 1>Joanni Vashan and Liam Mendez are in the Middle East

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<v Speaker 1>for The Australian. You can check out their reporting and

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<v Speaker 1>all our coverage right now at the Australian dot com

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<v Speaker 1>dot au