TEHRAN- The recent exchange of captives for Palestinian prisoners has once again highlighted Israel’s military failures in the war on Gaza which lasted for more than 15 months. 

Hamas released eight Israeli and foreign captives in Gaza on Thursday as dozens of fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad resistance movements organized the exchange. 
The strong presence of resistance fighters once again demonstrated that the Israeli army’s efforts to “destroy” Hamas have fallen flat. 

As the captives were being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Palestinian people also held gatherings to renew support for the regional resistance. 
In Khan Younis, a large assembly of Palestinians convened to witness the release of two Israeli captives.

“The resistance fighters are still here, alive, and capable of striking back. This whole exchange is a reminder that the occupation has failed to break us,” 32-year-old Abu Yusuf, who was standing in the crowd, told Al Jazeera. 

Palestinians have reaffirmed their backing for resistance movements amid the third captive-prisoner exchange since Jan. 19The gatherings prominently featured portraits of Hassan Nasrallah, Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader, who was martyred by Israel in September last year, as well as images of Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah, and Fathi Shaqaqi, the late founder of the Islamic Jihad.

Two women waved handwritten signs thanking Iran, Hezbollah, and Ansarullah for supporting Palestinians, according to the Doha-based news network. 

“We’re here to thank every nation that backed our resistance, especially Iran, [Lebanon’s] Hezbollah, and Yemen… But our people’s steadfastness brought us here,” one of the women said as she held a banner reading, “To all who stood with us, our victory is yours.”

Large Palestinian crowds attending the captives’ release have sent a significant message, illustrating that Israel's efforts to vilify the resistance movement have remained ineffective. 

The huge presence of Palestinian fighters and civilians has also humiliated Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Since launching the war on Gaza in October 2023, Netanyahu had repeatedly vowed to continue fighting to “destroy” Hamas by achieving “total victory” over the group. But Israel signed a ceasefire with Hamas which went into effect on January 19 after failing to meet its objectives in the Gaza conflict. 

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s former national security minister who resigned from the Netanyahu cabinet in protest against the ceasefire deal, has acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the captives' handover in Khan Younis reflect the regime’s inability to accomplish its military objectives.

“This is not a complete victory – this is a complete failure, in a reckless deal like no other,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement on Telegram.

Following the release of captives, Israel freed 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 32 serving life sentences and 30 minors. 

On Thursday, Palestinians gathered at the entrance to the West City of Ramallah to welcome the released detainees.

But Israeli forces attacked the crowds. According to Palestinian health officials, more than a dozen Palestinians were hurt by Israeli fire, some with live and rubber bullets, others from gas inhalation.

The exchange of captives and Palestinian prisoners that took place on Thursday marked the third such occurrence under the phased ceasefire agreement that was aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza.  
Israel killed more than 47,000 Palestinians during the genocidal war on Gaza. 

The regime’s forces and settlers have also killed nearly 900 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Gaza conflict. 

For now, the unwavering support for resistance movements in the West Bank and Gaza clearly shows that Israel’s sinister schemes aimed at pitting Palestinian people against Hamas have backfired.