Israeli captive Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, is escorted by Hamas fighters earlier than being handed over to the Purple Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday Feb. 8, 2025. —AP Picture/Abdel Kareem Hana
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hamas-led militants launched three gaunt, frail-looking Israeli hostages and Israel freed practically 200 Palestinian prisoners Saturday within the newest trade of a ceasefire settlement that has paused 16 months of warfare in Gaza.
The hostages’ situation and scenes of Hamas forcing them to talk in a handover ceremony sparked outrage in Israel and will improve strain on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to increase the ceasefire past its present six-week section.
Netanyahu has signaled he would resume the warfare, even when meaning leaving dozens of hostages in Hamas captivity. “President Trump fully agreed with me: We’ll do the whole lot to return all of the hostages, however Hamas is not going to be there,” Netanyahu stated after the trade.
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Earlier than a crowd of lots of, armed militants led Eli Sharabi, 52; Ohad Ben Ami, 56; and Or Levy, 34, onto a stage to make statements earlier than handing them over to the Purple Cross. The three civilian males have been amongst about 250 folks taken in the course of the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the warfare.
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The enjoyment of some Israelis watching their launch turned to shock and tears after they noticed their emaciated state. The boys appeared in poorer situation than the 18 hostages beforehand let out.
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Later Saturday, Israel launched 183 Palestinian prisoners, some additionally showing gaunt and weak. The Purple Crescent stated seven have been taken to hospitals. Many Palestinians launched in the course of the ceasefire have appeared emaciated and pale, and have alleged abuses in Israeli custody.
fifth trade
It was the fifth trade for the reason that ceasefire started Jan. 19.
The Purple Cross stated it was “more and more involved in regards to the situations surrounding launch operations” and urged all events to make sure releases are dignified and personal.
An Israeli Well being Ministry consultant, Dr. Hagar Mizrahi, famous “extreme malnutrition” and a “vital lower” in physique weight within the hostages launched, as households once more feared for the handfuls of hostages nonetheless held in Gaza. Not all are alive.
“We is not going to stay silent about this. A message has been handed on to the mediators, and motion can be taken accordingly,” stated Gal Hirsch, Netanyahu’s coordinator for hostages.
Hamas’ navy wing, the Qassam Brigades, stated it had made efforts to protect the hostages’ lives “regardless of the (Israeli) bombardment.”
The ceasefire’s first section requires the discharge of 33 hostages and practically 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza and a rise in humanitarian support to the devastated territory. Israel says Hamas has confirmed eight of the 33 hostages are lifeless.
This section doesn’t look like affected by US President Donald Trump’s beautiful proposal to switch the Palestinian inhabitants out of Gaza, welcomed by Israel however vehemently rejected by Palestinians and a lot of the worldwide group.
However it may complicate talks over the second and harder section, when Hamas is to launch dozens extra hostages in return for an enduring ceasefire. Hamas could also be reluctant to free extra captives—its predominant bargaining chip—if it believes the US and Israel are severe about depopulating the territory, which rights teams say would violate worldwide regulation.
Netanyahu on Saturday directed a delegation to go to Qatar to debate the ceasefire settlement’s technical particulars, and the safety Cupboard will meet about negotiations on the truce’s second section, in keeping with an Israeli official who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to debate particulars of the talks with the information media.
Hostages be taught of family members’ destiny
Sharabi and Ben Ami have been captured from Kibbutz Beeri, one of many farming communities hardest hit by the Hamas assault, whereas Levy was kidnapped from the Nova music competition.
They have been solely now studying the destiny of some members of the family, in keeping with Israeli media. Sharabi’s spouse and two teenage daughters have been killed, and his brother Yossi died in captivity. Levy’s spouse was killed. Ben Ami’s spouse, Raz, was launched throughout a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023 that noticed greater than 100 hostages freed.
“It’s over, it’s over,” Levy’s brother Michael stated as they embraced.
“I left XXL, I got here again medium,” Ben Ami stated as he hugged his daughters. One in every of them, Ella, instructed Israeli channel 12 that “it took me a second to comprehend that this was my father.”
The Palestinian prisoners launched embody 18 serving life sentences for lethal assaults on Israelis, 54 serving long-term sentences and 111 Palestinians from Gaza detained after the Oct. 7 assault however not tried for any crime. All are males, ages 20 to 61.
Nearly each Palestinian has a pal, relative or acquaintance who has been imprisoned.
Seven of the launched prisoners have been transferred to Egypt. Others have been transferred to Palestinian custody within the occupied West Financial institution, the place cheering supporters welcomed them. Some had been detained over offenses starting from bomb assaults to involvement in militant organizations.
They embody Iyad Abu Shakhdam, 49, locked up for practically 21 years over his involvement in Hamas assaults in crowded civilian areas that killed dozens of Israelis. That included a 2004 suicide bus bombing in Beersheba that killed 16 folks.
“From Oct. 7, 2023, to right this moment we don’t know something about what is occurring exterior the jail,” Shakhdam stated.
One other is Jamal al-Tawil, a outstanding Hamas politician, whose final reported arrest was in 2021 over alleged efforts to entrench Hamas’ management within the West Financial institution. He was transferred to administrative detention, a renewable six-month interval during which suspects are held with out cost or trial.
Warfare may resume in March
The warfare—the deadliest and most damaging combating ever between Israel and Hamas—may resume in early March if no settlement is reached.
Israel says it’s dedicated to destroying Hamas, which reasserted its rule over Gaza inside hours of the ceasefire. Hamas says it received’t launch remaining hostages with out an finish to the warfare and a full Israeli withdrawal.
Within the Oct. 7 assault, about 1,200 folks, largely civilians, have been killed. Greater than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory warfare, over half girls and kids, in keeping with Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say what number of have been militants.
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The Israeli navy says it killed greater than 17,000 fighters, with out offering proof. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas for working in residential neighborhoods. —AP
