Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of an exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in a highly choreographed handover in which the armed group made the men give short speeches in Hebrew from the stage.
The hostages — Eli Sharabi, 52; Or Levy, 34; and Ohad Ben-Ami, 56 — looked frail and gaunt. One of them, who appeared to be Mr. Ben Ami, thanked the armed wing of Hamas for “protecting him” during his time in captivity and called for the Israeli government to end the war, in a speech that was given effectively at gunpoint and clearly under duress.
The Hostage Families Forum, which represents relatives of the hostages, issued a swift statement condemning the “distressing images” from the handover, and called for the immediate release of the remaining captives. “Everyone must be brought home, down to the last hostage,” it said.
The release was the fifth in a tense series of exchanges outlined in a cease-fire deal with Israel that has held for nearly three weeks. Since the cease-fire deal went into effect, Hamas has sought to wield the hostage releases for propaganda purposes. Its armed fighters have fanned out throughout the streets and squares where the exchanges are being held as a show of its dominance in Gaza — despite Israel’s 15-month campaign to uproot its rule in the Palestinian enclave.
In this first phase of the cease-fire, slated to last 42 days, Hamas has pledged to release at least 33 hostages in exchange for more than 1,500 Palestinians jailed by Israel. In three previous exchanges, about 18 hostages have been freed for more than 550 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel was expected to release about 180 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, according to the official Palestinian prisoners’ commission. Under the deal, at least some of the prisoners to be released are serving life sentences for committing deadly attacks.
The truce has paused more than a year of devastating warfare that began with the attack on Israel, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and 250 others taken hostage, mostly civilians. More than 70 captives remain in Gaza, at least 35 of whom are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli government.
In response, Israel launched a campaign against Hamas in Gaza that killed more than 45,000 people, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Palestinians in the enclave have lived through a year of hunger and fear; many no longer have homes to which they can return.
Israel and Hamas have both committed to negotiating a longer-lasting end to the fighting and the release of the remaining hostages. But it remains unclear whether the two sides can reach such an accord, which would force them both to make painful concessions.
Here’s what else to know:
-
Cease-fire snags: Hamas published the names of the hostages it planned to release later than anticipated on Friday, raising concerns that the agreement had hit a roadblock. By Friday evening, Israeli government officials said they had received the list and informed the men’s families. Since the cease-fire went into effect, it has been buffeted by several crises as each side has accused the other of violating the agreement.
-
Gaza proposal: This week, President Trump — whose administration helped mediate the cease-fire — proposed removing Gaza’s roughly two million Palestinian residents and the United States taking over the enclave. Some analysts viewed his remarks as an effort to kick-start the negotiations, while others said his far-reaching ideas could torpedo them.
