An Israeli hostage shocked onlookers today by kissing a Hamas fighter on the head during his release in Nuseirat, central Gaza. The act came as he and two other hostages were freed, hours after two others were handed over to Israeli officials.
In an unprecedented scene, Omer Shem Tov, 22, was seen kissing two masked Hamas fighters as he stood alongside Eliya Cohen, 27, and Omer Wenkert, 23—all of whom were abducted from the Nova music festival during the October 7 Hamas attack. The three men were seen laughing, smiling, and waving at the gathered crowd before being handed over to the Red Cross. In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, crowds cheered and wept as they watched a live broadcast of the exchange.
The three hostages are now back in Israeli hands, with the military confirming their safe return.
Omer Shem Tov’s father, Malki Shem Tov, told Israeli media that his family’s 505-day ordeal had finally ended. His grandmother, Sara, said his friendly demeanour, even in captivity, was characteristic of him:
“That’s Omer. He gets on with everyone. Even Hamas… They love him even there.”
Earlier, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 39, were also transferred to the Red Cross. Mengistu was previously seen in a 2022 Hamas video lying in a cot with an oxygen mask.
The final hostage of this phase, Hisham al-Sayed, is expected to be released without a public ceremony, according to Hamas, which cited “respect for his family”.
The ceasefire agreement, which has led to the release of several hostages, remains fragile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed retribution, condemning Hamas’s misidentification of bodies as a cruel and malicious violation of the agreement.
According to Daily Mail, Israeli forensic authorities confirmed today that the remains returned overnight belonged to Israeli mother Shiri Bibas, contradicting earlier military claims that the body was an unidentified individual.
Israeli authorities have also positively identified Bibas’s two sons, Kfir and Ariel, and Oded Lifshitz, while stating that the fourth body was an unidentified Gazan woman. However, tensions escalated when the IDF accused Hamas of murdering Ariel and Kfir “with their bare hands”, an allegation Hamas denies.
The dispute over the hostages’ bodies has cast new doubt over the ceasefire deal, with negotiations over a second phase expected to be more complex, as Hamas is set to demand a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal in exchange for releasing more hostages.
