Palestinian extremist group Hamas released six more hostages on Saturday, and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli prisons to be exchanged for under a fragile ceasefire agreement.
The six hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in different parts of Gaza, with Tal Shoham, 40, and long-time captive Avera Mengistu, 39, released for the first time in Rafa City.
Omer Shem-tov, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert were all in their 20s and were handed over to Red Cross representatives at the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Both construction ceremonies attended masked and armed Hamas fighters, which were broadcast live on television in the Israeli and Arab worlds.
Apparently, the hostages were told to smile and waved to the crowd gathered in the ruins of the war.
In both cases, when loud music is played, the Red Cross representatives are forced to sign handover documents on the stage.
The last hostage released on Saturday was Hisham al-Sayed, 36, who was released in Gaza after being imprisoned for nearly 10 years.
According to broadcaster Al Al Jazeera, Hamas decided not to show his handover because he was an Arab Israeli.
According to Palestinian information, in exchange for the release of the man, Israel will provide 602 Palestinian prisoners for free, including 50 life-long lives.
Ten years later, twice released
Hamas holds al-sayed and Ethiopian-born Menstu after Hamas voluntarily crossed the border into the Gaza Strip in 2015 and 2014, respectively.
Hamas released recordings of both during his imprisonment, al-sayed showed it on a 2022 bed with an oxygen mask on it. These images have caused anger in Israel.
Both men are dealing with psychological problems, according to Israeli sources.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and other extremist groups were kidnapped by Hamas and other extremist groups in an unprecedented massacre in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people. That day, more than 250 people were taken hostage.
According to the Hamas-controlled Health Bureau, more than 48,300 Palestinians died in the subsequent war.
Shem -Tov, Cohen and Wenkert were 22, 27 and 23 years old, respectively – kidnapped at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, while Shoham also holds Austrian citizenship and was caught in nearby Be'eri Kibbutz's relatives there.
Hamas initially released three of the six hostages earlier than planned after being released under the Ceasefire Consitage next weekend.
According to media reports, the militia hopes to ensure that dozens of senior members of the Israeli prison are released do not fail at the last minute.
Shiri Bibas's body returns to Israel
Earlier on Saturday, Nir Oz Kibbutz confirmed Shiri Bibas's body, whose body was passed to the Red Cross late Friday.
A spokeswoman said: “Kibbutz announced painfully that she was murdered while she was hijacked in Gaza.”
Hamas flipped through the 32-year-old German-Israeli sons Ariel and Kefir ODED LIFSHITZ on Thursday.
However, Israeli forensic experts later determined that the remains in the fourth coffin did not belong to Shiri Bibas, which Hamas originally claimed.
The militia later admitted possible mistakes, resulting in the body of another unknown woman being transferred. Mixed – both intentional or accidental – caused great anger in Israel.
The second phase is uncertain
In the final step of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas will hand over four more Israeli hostage bodies next week.
The multi-stage ceasefire agreement stipulates that in the first six-week phase, a total of 33 hostages will be gradually released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has released 25 hostages in several rounds since the ceasefire began in the Gaza war on January 19, as well as four bodies, including Bibas and her two young sons. In addition, the five Thai nationals kidnapped from Israel have nothing to do with the agreement.
Neither party reportedly had any serious negotiations in the second phase of the agreement, as originally planned.
The second phase of the agreement should lead to a clear end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages, but it is not yet clear whether it can be actually implemented.
Hamas reiterated his interest in the second phase agreement and a full exchange of the remaining hostages of Palestinian prisoners amid a permanent ceasefire and the complete evacuation of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
However, Israel insists on its war goal to completely destroy Hamas. More than 60 hostages are still in the Gaza Strip, about half of whom are no longer considered alive.
The Alkasam Brigade of Hamas Military Forces began the ceremony at which they handed over two Israeli hostages, Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of the ceasefire agreement. Abed Rahim Khatib/DPA
The Alkasam Brigade of Hamas military forces handed over one of the two Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of the ceasefire agreement. Abed Rahim Khatib/DPA
