Hamas releases three more Israeli hostages under Gaza ceasefire deal
Hamas releases three more Israeli hostages under Gaza ceasefire deal
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Three Israeli hostages are being released in exchange for over 100 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has released three more Israeli hostages under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The three Israelis, Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy, had been held hostage in Gaza for 16 months. This is the fifth exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel. Israel is set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday to fulfil its side of the agreement, according to Hamas-linked offices inside Gaza.
Under the terms of the ceasefire deal, Hamas agreed to gradually free 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians. Dozens masked and armed Hamas fighters were deployed in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza on Saturday, at the site where the group handed over the hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Crowds of people gathered at the site, where the ICRC vehicles waited to collect the hostages and transport them to Israeli forces in Gaza.
Eli Sharabi, 52, was reportedly at his home in kibbutz Beeri with his British-born wife and their teenage daughters when it was stormed by Hamas on 7 October 2023. Mr Sharabi’s wife and two daughters were killed and he was taken to Gaza alongside his brother Yossi. Yossi was killed early last year inside Gaza, Israeli military have said. Ben Ami, 56, was abducted with his wife Raz Ben Ami from their home. She was released during the one-week truce in November 2023.
Or Levy, 34, was taken hostage at the Nova music festival. His wife was killed during the attack, and the couple’s young son has been under the care of family members. Michael Levy, brother of Or Levy, said ahead of the exchange: "I can't even start to describe the emotions, the excitement, how happy we are that it's finally close to be over. "We are waiting to hug him, waiting to see Almog (Levy's son), hugging his father again.".
