IDF Confirms: 3 Israeli Hostages Handed Over to Red Cross After Hamas Propaganda Staging
Hamas paraded three weakened Israeli hostages—Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy—in a Gaza propaganda event before handing them over to the Red Cross, now escorting them to Israeli forces
Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday—Ohad Ben Ami, 56, Eli Sharabi, 52, and Or Levy, 34—to the Red Cross on Saturday after parading them in a propaganda ceremony in central Gaza. The IDF confirmed that the Red Cross is now escorting the freed captives to Israeli and Shin Bet forces inside Gaza, who will take them out of the Strip.
The three men, appearing gaunt, pale, and visibly weak, were brought onto a stage in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza before their release in what appeared to be a staged Hamas event, where a masked operative delivered a speech announcing their release. The stage featured a sign with a raised fist carrying a Palestinian flag, with the words “total victory” inscribed in Hebrew beneath a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who has vowed that the war will not end until Israel achieves “total victory.”
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(L-R) Ohad Ben Ami, Or Levy, Eli Sharabi are shown before and after their capture by Hamas on October 7, 2023. (Courtesy)
Meanwhile, the families of the captives were anxiously awaiting their return, some of them enduring months of heartbreaking loss and uncertainty. Sharabi, 52, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, the day of Hamas’ deadly assault on southern Israel. His wife and daughters were murdered in their home’s safe room, and he and his brother Yossi were taken captive. Yossi has since been confirmed dead, with Hamas still holding his body.
Levy, 34, was taken from the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, where Hamas gunmen killed hundreds of attendees. His wife, Einav, was murdered in the attack, leaving their now three-year-old son, Almog, in the care of his grandparents. For 16 months, Almog has been told that his father was missing and being searched for. Ben Ami was also kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri, along with his wife, Raz, who was released last November during an earlier ceasefire agreement. Their daughters campaigned tirelessly for their father’s return, and their reactions to the news went viral, showing them joyfully piling on top of each other and exclaiming, “Dad’s coming home!”
Under the current agreement, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages in phases in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners, including 737 serving life sentences for terrorism-related offenses. As part of this phase of the deal, Israel is set to release 183 Palestinian detainees, among them 18 prisoners serving life terms and others sentenced to decades in prison.
So far, 13 out of 33 hostages scheduled for release in the first 42-day phase of the deal have returned home, along with five Thai hostages. In return, Israel has released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Negotiations for a second phase—which is intended to secure the release of an additional 60 hostages and include plans for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza—are ongoing, with an Israeli negotiating team expected to travel to Doha soon.
