Hamas on Saturday handed over three more Israeli hostages to the Red Cross as part of the ceasefire deal, Israel War Room reported.
The Israeli military the three hostages freed by Hamas militants on Saturday were now in the custody of its troops in Gaza.
The three hostages released on Saturday include Eli Sharabi, 52; Ohad Ben Ami, 56; and Or Levy, 34.
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All three were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war.
A crowd of hundreds of people had gathered to witness the event. Relatives of the hostages cheered, clapped, and cried as they watched live footage of their loved ones being released. The hostages were also made to make public statements by Hamas during the release.
Meanwhile Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has condemned the treatment of Israeli hostages freed from Gaza, calling it a “crime against humanity” after masked Hamas militants paraded the men on stage during their handover.
“This is what a crime against humanity looks like! The whole world must look directly at Ohad, Or, and Eli — returning after 491 days of hell, starved, emaciated and pained — being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle by vile murderers,” the Israeli head of state said in a statement on X.
Eli Sharabi, 52, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Beeri, where his wife and two daughters were killed by militants while hiding in a safe room. His brother, also taken captive, died in Hamas custody, and his body remains withheld.
Ohad Ben Ami, 56, an accountant from Kibbutz Beeri, was abducted with his wife, Raz. She was released in November 2023.
Or Levy, 34, was taken from a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival. His wife was killed in the attack, leaving their 3-year-old son in the care of relatives.
This was the fifth swap of hostages for prisoners since the ceasefire began on January 19. Before Saturday, 18 hostages and more than 550 Palestinian prisoners had been freed.
In return for the three hostages, Israel is expected to free 183 Palestinian prisoners, according to Hamas’s media office.
The exchange is part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas aimed at securing the release of hostages taken during the October 7 attack. This is part of broader ceasefire discussions to reduce hostilities.
