DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants released three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli civilian men they held for the past 16 months on Saturday, and Israel was freeing dozens of Palestinian prisoners as part of a fragile agreement that has paused the war in the Gaza Strip.
Before a crowd of hundreds, armed Hamas fighters led Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34, onto a stage, where they were forced to make a public statement before being handed over to the Red Cross.
The three were among about 250 people abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war. They appeared to be in much poorer physical condition than any of the 18 other hostages released so far during the ceasefire that began Jan. 19.
Hostages' condition sparks concern
The hostages' emaciated condition and the stage-managed ceremony — a departure from previous hostage releases where the captives were not made to speak — sparked outrage in Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said “we will not accept the shocking scenes” that played out. The statement did not lay out punitive measures.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the “difficult scenes” were reason to extend the truce with Hamas and bring home the dozens of remaining hostages.
In an apparent response to concerns over the released hostages’ health, Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed it had “made efforts to preserve their lives despite the (Israeli) bombardment.”
Many Palestinians released from Israeli jails during the ceasefire have also appeared gaunt and pale, and have alleged abuses and mistreatment in Israeli custody.
The current phase of the truce, which runs until early March, does not appear to have been affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's stunning proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, welcomed by Israel but vehemently rejected by the Palestinians and most of the international community.
But it could complicate talks over the second and more difficult phase, when Hamas is to release dozens more hostages in return for a lasting ceasefire. Hamas may be reluctant to free more captives — and lose its main bargaining chip — if it believes the U.S. and Israel are serious about depopulating the territory, which rights groups say would violate international law.
This was the fifth swap of hostages for prisoners during the ceasefire. Before Saturday, 18 hostages and more than 550 Palestinian prisoners had been freed.
The gaunt appearance of the three hostages “evoke the horrifying pictures from the liberation of the camps in 1945, the darkest chapter of our history,” said the Hostages Families Forum, a group representing relatives of most of the captives. "We have to get all of the hostages out of hell. There can be no more delays.”
The first phase of the ceasefire calls for the release of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 prisoners, the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid to the devastated territory. Last week, wounded Palestinians were allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt for the first time since May.
Who was released on Saturday?
Sharabi and Ben Ami were both captured from Kibbutz Beeri, one of the hardest-hit farming communities, during the Hamas-led attack. Levy was abducted from the Nova music festival, where he was taking shelter in a safe room when the militants arrived.
Sharabi’s wife and two teenage daughters were killed in the attack. His brother Yossi was also abducted and died in captivity. Levy’s wife was killed during the attack and his now 3-year-old son has been cared for by relatives.
It is unclear whether either man knows about what happened to their families.
Ben Ami, a father of three, was kidnapped with his wife, Raz, who was released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.
Relatives of the hostages cheered, clapped and cried as they watched live footage of their loved ones being released.
Levy's brother, Michael, said his brother’s young son, Almog, was already told his father was on his way.
“Mogi, we found daddy,” Michael Levy said he told the boy, using his nickname, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12. “We haven’t seen happiness like that in him for a long time."
The 183 Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel on Saturday include 18 people serving life sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis, 54 serving long-term sentences and 111 Palestinians from Gaza who were detained after the Oct. 7 attack but not tried for any crime. All are men are aged between 20 and 61.
Virtually every Palestinian has a friend, relative or acquaintance who has been imprisoned.
More than 100 hostages were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. More than 70 are still in Gaza, and Israel has said 34 of those are believed to be dead. Israel says Hamas has confirmed eight of the 33 to be released during the first phase of the truce are dead.
Ceasefire's next phase is uncertain
It is not clear whether Israel and Hamas have begun negotiating a second phase of the ceasefire, which calls for releasing the remaining hostages and extending the truce indefinitely. The war could resume in early March if no agreement is reached.
Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group reasserted its rule over Gaza within hours of the ceasefire. A key far-right partner in Netanyahu’s coalition is calling for the war to resume after the ceasefire’s first phase.
Hamas says it won’t release remaining hostages without an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
In the Oct. 7 attack, some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory air and ground war, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.
The Israeli military says it killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in residential neighborhoods.