Images circulate of dozens of Hamas terrorists surrendering in Gaza

Photos and videos of Hamas detainees, stripped of their clothes, have been circulating on social media.

 Israeli soldiers walk past Israeli tanks near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 15, 2023. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
Israeli soldiers walk past Israeli tanks near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel October 15, 2023.
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

Images and videos of Hamas terrorists who have surrendered and been arrested by the IDF have been circulating online, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The reports came as the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah began in Israel.

A video revealing dozens of apprehended individuals stripped down to their undergarments as they sit in rows on the street exploded on platforms such as X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.

Where were these pictures taken?

It is unclear where in Gaza these images were captured, but armed IDF soldiers are pictured next to the detainees as they wait, heads down, on rubble-strewn pavement in front of damaged buildings.

“Thank you Hashem for letting the Jewish people start Hanukah with a smile thanks to this mass surrender of Hamas terrorists in Gaza,” wrote Jewish activist Hillel Fuld on X. “This should be the first of many! Thank you, IDF!”

 IDF troops encircle Khan Yunis as Hamas's grip on the Gaza Strip, December 7, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF troops encircle Khan Yunis as Hamas's grip on the Gaza Strip, December 7, 2023 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Captioning a photo on X of the detainees kneeling in a row on a sidewalk  as their shoes litter the street in front of them, former director of speech writing at the Israel Mission to the United Nations and co-founder of Boundless Israel, Aviva Klompas described it as a “Mass surrender of Hamas terrorists.”

Another image published by the Israeli media outlet, Maariv shows the detainees crowded together in the back of an IDF military vehicle, again undressed, with their hands apparently secured behind their backs.