Three Israeli men held in Gaza for 16 months were released by Hamas on Saturday as part of a fragile ceasefire deal.
Since the truce took effect on January 19, a total of 16 Israeli and dual-national hostages have been freed, alongside five Thai nationals released outside of the agreement.
The first phase of the deal, spanning 42 days, is expected to see the release of 33 hostages—eight of whom Israel says are dead—in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails, many of whom were forcefully taken from their homes and deprived of basic human rights.
The fate of the remaining child hostages, Kfir Bibas and his brother Ariel, along with their mother, Shiri Bibas, remains unclear.
Most Western media have reported that the three men released on Saturday appeared frail and disoriented, with Hamas reportedly forcing them to address crowds during their handover. There has so far been no video or any evidence to support this claim.
Eli Sharabi, who turns 53 next month, was abducted in Kibbutz Be’eri alongside his British-born wife and two teenage daughters when Hamas launched its attack on October 7, 2023. His brother, Yossi, was also taken but is believed to have died in captivity.
Ohad Ben Ami, 56, an accountant and cycling enthusiast with dual Israeli-German citizenship, was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri with his wife, Raz Ben Ami. She was released during a brief truce in November 2023. Social media images show him being seized wearing only a T-shirt and underwear.
Or Levy, 34, and his wife, Einav, had attended the Nova music festival, leaving their two-year-old son with his grandparents. When gunfire broke out, they sought refuge in a concrete safe room, later dubbed “the death bunker.” Einav was killed, and Or was taken hostage along with three other young men.
