Three male Israeli hostages are in the custody of the Israeli military in the fifth round of exchanges between Israel and Hamas, as uncertainty looms over the next stage of the Gaza ceasefire agreement as well as the enclave’s long-term future.
Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy – all taken hostage during the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel – were handed to the Red Cross in the central city of Deir al-Balah on day 491 of their captivity in Gaza. Although the transfer was orderly the three appeared thin and pale when they were led onto a makeshift stage.
Both Ami and Sharabi were dressed in brown. The hostages were seen delivering speeches in Hebrew while standing on the stage, before being led to the three Red Cross vehicles waiting to take them back to Israel. It is unclear whether they were speaking under duress.
The Red Cross then passed the hostages to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza.
The images during Saturday’s handover were described as “disturbing” by Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum. Levy – who was released as he was considered a humanitarian case – appeared particularly frail.
Ben Ami, 56, and Sharabi, 52, were both taken from their homes in Kibbutz Be’eri, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the Gaza border.
Ben Ami’s wife, Raz Ben Ami, also taken captive that day, was freed during a short-lived truce in November 2023.
Sharabi’s wife and daughters were killed in the October 7 attack, according to the kibbutz. His brother Yossi Sharabi, who was taken captive, died in Gaza, where his body remains, according to the Israeli military.
Levy, 34, was attending the Nova music festival on October 7 when he was kidnapped. His wife Eynav was killed in the attack. Levy also has a three-year-old son who he’ll be reunited with on his return to Israel.
Hamas has now released a total of 16 Israeli hostages as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, of a total of 33 promised at staggered intervals during this stage. Eight of those 33 are dead, according to the Israeli government.
Following the release of the three hostages on Saturday, Hamas and its allies still hold a total of 73 people taken from Israel on October 7, 2023, of 251 initially taken. Three additional hostages, held captive since 2014, are still in Gaza.
Hamas has said it expects Israel on Saturday to release 183 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the three Israelis. Israel is yet to confirm the numbers and names of the prisoners expected to be released.
Eighteen of the Palestinian prisoners expected to be released Saturday are serving life sentences, while 54 have lesser sentences and 111 were detained in Gaza after October 7, Hamas said in a statement. The charges against the 111 were not clear.
As well as taking hostages, Palestinian militants killed more than 1,200 people during the October 7 attack. Israeli bombardment of Gaza since then has killed more than 40,000 people, reduced much of the enclave to rubble, and led to a humanitarian catastrophe for surviving residents. The war has spilled over into the wider region, putting Israel in conflict with key Hamas backer Iran, as well as Tehran proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Saturday’s release follows the freeing of three Israeli hostages – Keith Siegel, Yarden Bibas and Ofer Kalderon – on February 1. The three men were handed over by Hamas in two orderly handover ceremonies that stood in stark contrast to scenes earlier that week.
On January 30, Israeli and Thai hostages were released in chaotic fashion, with a crowd of thousands jostling and cheering as they were handed over to the Red Cross in the central Gazan city of Khan Younis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described that handover as “shocking” and demanded guarantees from those who mediated the ceasefire deal – Qatar, Egypt and the United States – that the incident would not be repeated.
Uncertainty looms over the future of the ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas. Negotiations on extending the Gaza ceasefire – which expires on March 1 – are in doubt.
Netanyahu has been deeply wary of phase two of that deal, which would see the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the return of the remaining hostages there. His finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has pledged to quit the government if the ceasefire continues.
Fueling more uncertainty, in remarkable comments on Tuesday evening, US President Donald Trump proposed that the US “take over” Gaza, relocate its residents to neighboring countries, and redevelop the war-torn enclave. His comments were welcomed by Israeli far-right ministers and condemned by Hamas.
A Hamas official slammed Trump’s proposal as a “recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region.”
“Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass, and what is required is to end the occupation and aggression against our people, not expel them from their land,” Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said.