Israel and Hamas complete fifth hostage-prisoner swap Release of three Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners comes as next phase of ceasefire set to begin.
Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi, who were all seized by militants during Hamas’s attack on 7 October 2023, “crossed the border into Israeli territory” on Saturday, the Israeli military said.
Jubilant crowds in Israel’s commercial hub Tel Aviv cheered as they watched live footage of the three hostages, flanked by masked gunmen, brought on stage in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Out of the 183 inmates released by Israel in return, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club advocacy group said seven required hospitalisation, decrying “brutality” and mistreatment in jail.
Gaza militants have so far freed 21 hostages in exchange for hundreds of mostly Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.
