Hamas released the Israeli hostages in the fifth such exchange under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Israel also released Palestinians on Saturday to fulfil its side of the agreement, with images showing people hugging and cheering as people were returned to the occupied West Bank. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas agreed to gradually free 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians.
Crowds of hundreds of people gathered at the site, where the ICRC vehicles waited to collect the hostages and transport them to Israeli forces in Gaza. Before the three men were put into the vehicles, they were led onto a stage by Hamas fighters. They were given what appeared to be certificates of their release and then appeared to be interviewed, as militants armed with automatic rifles stood on each side. After this display they were escorted off stage and into the Red Cross cars.
This was the first time hostages freed during this phase of the ceasefire have been made to make public statements during their release. Mr Sharabi, 52, was reportedly at his home in Kibbutz Beeri with his British-born wife and their teenage daughters when it was stormed by Hamas on 7 October According to multiple reports in Israeli media, Mr Sharabi had been unaware that his family had been killed during the 7 October assault. I simply want to hug him. He survived it. The whole world must look directly at Ohad, Or, and Eli โ returning after days of hell, starved, emaciated and pained โ being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle by vile murderers.
Ahead of his release, Astrid Dafan-van Dien, a friend of Mr Sharabi, said: "We are counting the minutes, the seconds and we just want him to be here already, although it will be very difficult because of Lianne Sharabi's wife and the girls. Ben Ami, 56, was abducted with his wife Raz Ben Ami from their home. She was released during the one-week truce in November Or Levy, 34, was taken hostage at the Nova music festival.
Michael Levy, brother of Or Levy, said ahead of the exchange: "I can't even start to describe the emotions, the excitement, how happy we are that it's finally close to be over. Following the handover of the hostages, images emerged of a bus carrying freed Palestinians departing Ofer prison, an Israeli military prison. Israel has freed Palestinian prisoners, some convicted of violent attacks, as well as others who were detained during the war and who have not been convicted of crimes.
