Residents celebrate release of hostages outside PM’s residence in Jerusalem

A small but emotional crowd gathered outside the Prime Minister’s Residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem on Monday morning to celebrate the release of hostages from Gaza, a moment that has been awaited for two long years.

Around 200 people assembled at the familiar protest tent, which has been a hub of activity throughout the hostage crisis.

As live footage of the freed captives appeared on a large television screen, the crowd erupted in cheers, waving Israeli flags and embracing one another in relief.

The tent, draped in yellow ribbons and posters bearing the faces of hostages, has become a symbol of persistence and grief. Yet, this morning, it transformed, briefly, into a scene of joy and catharsis.

DAILY POST reports that beyond the immediate area, Azza Street, once the heart of Jerusalem’s protest movement, remained unusually quiet.

Pedestrians returning from morning prayers on the final day of Sukkot strolled past, some stopping to watch the historic broadcast.

Not all emotions were purely celebratory.

“I feel very good today, but it’s not enough that all the hostages come back,” said Yosef Avi Yair Engel, whose grandson Ofir Engel spent 54 days in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

“We are still waiting for the body of Yossi Sharabi, the father of my grandson’s girlfriend. Until the bodies of all the dead hostages come back, I cannot be too happy.”

A few meters away, a familiar figure added a touch of color to the morning, Policewoman Then-Maybe, a clown and longtime presence at the protests, dressed in her vintage police uniform and signature red nose.

She juggled and handed stickers to smiling children and adults alike.

“After two years of struggle, I had to come out and add to the happiness of all the beating hearts out here,” she said.

“It’s good to be with people who are smiling, after everything we’ve gone through.”