- Hamas releases three Israeli captives as part of a fragile Gaza ceasefire deal.
- Israel set to free 183 Palestinian prisoners in the latest exchange.
- Tensions rise amid calls for further hostage releases and international scrutiny.
Hamas has freed three Israeli captives from Gaza, with Israel set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners in return.
The handover took place on Saturday morning in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross. This marks the fifth exchange under the Gaza ceasefire deal, though tensions remain high as U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed the forced displacement of Palestinians from the enclave.
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The three released civilians—Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56—were freed as part of the first phase of the truce, which is scheduled to last until early March.
Before their release, the captives appeared on a stage in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, surrounded by Qassam Brigades fighters, holding certificates of release. Banners behind them read: “We are the flood, we are the war’s next day.” Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reported that the crowd chanted in support of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing.
The men, visibly frail after 16 months in captivity, were quickly transferred to Israeli military and intelligence officers, who escorted them to Israel.
Sharabi and Ben Ami were abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 250 kidnappings. Levy was taken from the Nova music festival.
In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum emphasized the urgency of securing the release of all captives:
“The disturbing images from the release of Ohad, Eli, and Or serve as yet another stark and painful evidence that leaves no room for doubt – there is no time to waste for the hostages! We must get them all out, down to the very last hostage. Now!”
Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, Jordan, said that one of the freed captives spoke in Hebrew on stage, urging the Israeli government to commit to the second and third phases of the deal.
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“The majority of the Israeli public wants this too,” she said.
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, Israelis gathered in anticipation. Salhut noted that the site has become a symbolic centre for the families of captives and the broader public, who continue to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to uphold the agreement and secure the release of all remaining hostages.
