Feb. 8 (UPI) — Hamas militants released three frail and abused Israel hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners, some also emaciated, on Saturday.
After the fifth handoff since the cease-fire on Jan. 25, Hamas has now released 16 Israeli hostages as part of the first phase of the cease-fire agreement. Eight of the 33 promised hostages are dead, according to the Israeli government.
Ohad Ben Ami, 56; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Or Levy, 34, were taken hostage during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Ben Ami and Sharabi were captured from their homes in Kibbutz Be’eri, about 2.5 miles from the Gaza border, and Levy, 34, was attending the Nova music festival near kibbutz Re’im when he was kidnapped.
Supporters, waving flags and holding placards, lined the route near the base close to Re’im afer their release.
Hamas and its allies still hold 73 people of 251 initially taken.
Militants killed more than 1,200 people during the October 7, 2023 attack. Then Israel struck Gaza, killing more than 45,000 people, according to Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Many of the freed prisoners were in poor health. Israel has said it would release up to 1,904 Palestinian prisoners, including 737 serving life terms for dozens of murders.
Hostages’ conditions
The three men were thin and pale when they were led onto a makeshift stage.
They were handed to the Red Cross in the central city of Deir al-Balah on day 491 of their captivity in Gaza. Israel Defense Forces in Gaza transferred them back to Israel for an initial medical assessment before being reunited with their families.
Levy and Sharabi returned from Gaza in “poor” medical condition, the hospital where they are receiving care said.
“The consequences of 491 long days in captivity are evident on the two returnees who arrived today and their medical condition is poor,” Yael Frenkel Nir, the director of Sheba Medical Center, told reporters. “This is the fourth time in the current framework that we have received returnees and the situation is more serious this time,”
Ben Ami returned from captivity “severely malnourished and having lost a lot of body weight,” Dr. Gil Pierre from Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital said in a statement.
But Ben Ami is “strong spirited and inspiring, and accompanied by a strong family,” Pierre said.
Hostages’ ordeal
The families reportedly said they endured physical and psychological abuse.
Levy, who lost 44 pounds during the ordeal, was held with other hostages mainly in the terror group’s tunnels, Channel 12 reported. They were given more food before their release.
He showered only every few months and was barefoot until Saturday morning.
The Israeli government said the “shocking” condition of the freed hostages “would not go unaddressed. Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum said their appearances were “disturbing.”
“Seeing the three hostages this morning as if they had been liberated from World War II concentration camps should compel us all to accelerate the release of all hostages,” Gershon Baskin, an Israeli hostage negotiator, said in a statement.
Reunited with families
Ben Ami’s wife, Raz Ben Ami, was freed during a short-lived truce in November 2023.
Michal Cohen, the mother of Ben Ami, told Channel 12 that “he looks terrible. He is 57, but he looks 10 years older. It is so sad for me to see him like this.”
One of his daughters told her father that she began her IDF service while he was in captivity. “I’ve been in the army for eight months,” she says, kneeling at her father’s feet.
“I’m proud of you,” he said.
Family members of the two other hostages had died.
Sharabi’s wife and daughters were killed in the attack, and his brother Yossi Sharabi was taken captive and he died as his body remains there, according to the Israeli military. Sharabi’s mother and sister told him his wife died.
Levy’s wife also was murdered, and wasn’t clear if he knew about her.
Cease-fire phases
The first Gaza cease-fire expires on March 1.
The second stage of the multi-phase agreement would secure the release of around 60 male hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum is calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately convene the security cabinet to move ahead on the second phase.
Some 1,000 people protested Saturday night outside the entrance to the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan Zangauker has been held in Gaza since the attack, said Netanyahu is lounging in a Washington hotel while we watch a Holocaust reality show.”
She was referring to the prime minister’s visit earlier this week with President Donald Trump and members of Congress.
As part of the cease-fire, IDF is set to withdraw overnight from its remaining positions in the Netzarim Corridor of central Gaza
