On Saturday, Hamas released five out of an anticipated six Israeli hostages held in Gaza, as a tenuous ceasefire approaches the conclusion of its initial phase amid ongoing disputes. Avera Mengistu, a 39-year-old Ethiopian-Israeli man described by his family as mentally ill and detained since 2014, and Tal Shoham, 40, were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross during a ceremonial event in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Subsequently, Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Omer Wenkert, 23, were released in Nuseirat, central Gaza, appearing pale and thin, yet in better physical condition compared to some hostages released earlier this month. The individuals were showcased by armed Hamas fighters and appeared compelled to wave and smile at the gathered crowds, despite the Red Cross’s appeals for private and dignified handovers.
Hisham al-Sayed, a 36-year-old Palestinian Bedouin with Israeli nationality, also noted as mentally ill, is expected to be released separately later on Saturday. Mengistu and Al-Sayed have been held by Hamas for almost a decade after entering Gaza voluntarily.
The other hostages were captured during the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, from kibbutzim near the border and a music festival, where hundreds of Israelis were killed. The Israeli military confirmed the releases, stating all five had been transported into southern Israel by the Red Cross.
In return for the release of all six hostages, Israel is set to free 602 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds detained without charge or trial, and 110 serving long or life sentences after being convicted in military courts for violence against Israelis.
With today’s exchange, Hamas will have released 29 hostages, four of whom are deceased, in exchange for over 1,600 Palestinian prisoners. This exchange potentially enhances its political standing among Palestinians in Gaza, despite the significant repercussions of its assault on Israel.
These six releases mark the completion of the first phase of the ceasefire, which is scheduled to end on Thursday with the handover of four additional bodies. The second phase, for which negotiations have yet to fully commence, could potentially bring about a permanent end to the 15-month conflict in exchange for the release of approximately 60 remaining hostages, including male soldiers and many presumed deceased.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies firmly oppose a prolonged truce, urging the military to resume hostilities against Hamas. The initial six-week phase faced significant challenges, prompting interventions from the US, Egypt, and Qatar to maintain its course, as Hamas accused Israel of delaying humanitarian aid, including essential equipment and shelters for displaced Palestinians.
One of the latest issues arose when Hamas earlier released an unidentified body instead of that of Shiri Bibas, a 32-year-old Israeli mother, whose young children were also captured on October 7. Her body was eventually identified by Israeli forensic pathologists after being released late on Friday. Hamas attributed the error to the disarray within the devastated enclave.
In Israel, the capture of the Bibas family has become emblematic of both Hamas’s brutality during the initial attack that initiated the conflict and the perceived failure of Israeli authorities to protect them. The Israeli military has stated that autopsies revealed the Bibas children were murdered during their captivity, contrary to Hamas’s claims they were killed by Israeli airstrikes.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari indicated that the two boys were not shot but were killed by Hamas “with their bare hands,” followed by actions taken to conceal these crimes. Despite the challenges faced in this ceasefire phase, Israel has dispatched a negotiation team to Cairo to discuss the second stage, though significant progress remains elusive. Hamas has signaled its readiness to continue with the negotiations.
Hamas’s cross-border raid on October 7 resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people in Israel and about 250 hostages, according to local reports. Meanwhile, Israel’s retaliatory actions have led to nearly 50,000 Palestinian deaths, as reported by Gaza health officials, leaving the region, home to over 2.3 million Palestinians, amidst a humanitarian crisis.
