Gaza Strip: Hamas has released five of the six Israeli hostages scheduled for release on Saturday, despite rising tensions that cast uncertainty over the fragile ceasefire agreement between the two sides. The hostages were handed over to the Red Cross during two separate events in Gaza, where masked, armed Hamas fighters escorted them onto stages before large crowds of Palestinians.
In Nuseirat, a town in central Gaza, three Israeli men in their 20s — Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen — stood alongside the fighters. Shem Tov, smiling broadly, blew kisses to the crowd, gave a thumbs-up, and even kissed one of the militants on the head, AP reported. In Israel, Cohen’s family and friends celebrated his release, chanting “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” while Shem Tov’s grandmother expressed her joy by ululating and shouting, “Omer, my joy! My life!” when she spotted him.
Hostage releases continue
The three men were then placed in Red Cross vehicles bound for Israel. Earlier in the day, two other hostages were freed in Rafah, located in southern Gaza. A sixth hostage, 36-year-old Hisham al-Sayed, is also expected to be released later on Saturday.
The release, which will be followed by the liberation of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, comes amid heightened tensions sparked by a distressing incident earlier this week. Hamas initially returned the wrong body instead of Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother who was abducted alongside her two young sons. On Friday night, the Palestinian Mujahedeen Brigades returned a second body, later confirmed as Bibas’ by Israeli authorities. Her family said, “We searched for answers for 16 months. Now we have them, but it brings no comfort.”
Ceasefire talks face hurdles
Talks for the next ceasefire phase could be tough. The current truce, nearing its end, paused the 15-month war. The next stage would see Hamas releasing more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal. Six hostages were freed Saturday, the last under the first phase. Their release brought relief, but fears remain for those still held after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 in Israel.
