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Hamas freed three more Israeli hostages on Saturday amid heightened tensions between the warring parties, with both sides accusing each other of breaching the cease-fire agreement.
The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the transfer of the three civilian captives – Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami, and Or Levy – from their Hamas captors in Gaza.
The release carries profound emotional weight, particularly for Sharabi, 52, who was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri during Hamas’ October 7 assault. The terrorists killed his wife and teenage daughters who were hiding in their safe room, while his brother Yossi, also captured that day, later died in captivity with his body still in Gaza.
BBC reporter says the starved and frail Israeli hostages were “very precious” to Hamas while claiming the terror group “saved their lives”, despite starving them and slaughtering their families.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) February 8, 2025
Fellow Kibbutz Be’eri resident Ben Ami, 56, was kidnapped alongside his spouse Raz, who gained freedom in November’s cease-fire. The third freed hostage, Levy, 34, was captured at the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, where terrorists killed over 260 people, including his wife Eynav. Their toddler son Almog has been under his grandparents’ care.
As part of the exchange agreement, Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners, with Hamas indicating this includes 18 serving life sentences and 54 with lengthy terms.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed outrage at the hostages’ deteriorated physical state, noting their emaciated appearance during their presentation in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah. “We will not gloss over the shocking scenes that we saw today,” Netanyahu said Saturday.
For over a year, the entire international community has danced to the tune of the false propaganda of so-called ‘starvation’ in Gaza.
But the images don’t lie:
Hamas terrorists and other Gaza residents look perfectly fine.
The Israeli hostages look like Holocaust survivors and… pic.twitter.com/5wbDcztmtg— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) February 8, 2025
This marks the fifth hostage-prisoner swap since the January 19 truce began. The six-week agreement requires Hamas to free 33 hostages – starting with female civilians and soldiers, followed by older men and those seriously ill – in exchange for over 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli custody.
Of the original 251 hostages, Hamas has released 21 so far, including five Thai nationals. Approximately 76 captives remain, with around 30 believed dead.
The latest exchange came after renewed friction threatened the fragile cease-fire. Israel criticized Hamas for delayed hostage lists, while Hamas accused Israel of blocking vital Gaza aid deliveries, leading to delayed name submissions.
The truce has temporarily halted 15 months of devastating conflict triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 taken captive.
