Three Israeli hostages have been handed over by the Hamas group as Israel is in the process of releasing 183 prisoners as part of the ceasefire agreement.
As the vehicles carrying the hostages arrived, a Hamas representative in a green mask ascended the stage and delivered a speech, announcing the release of the three hostages. Soon after, two Red Cross officials went on stage to sign the release documentation.
Ami was the first to come out of the vehicle, closely followed by Sharabi, then Levy. They were all accompanied by Hamas operatives while they held up certificates in front of them. The Red Cross officials then handed over the hostages to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza, who then took them to Israel for further medical evaluation. IDF later confirmed that the three hostages had arrived in Israel and were on their way to “an initial reception point” in southern Israel, where they were going to be reunited with their families.
Meanwhile, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, released a statement to celebrate the release of the hostages and also reaffirmed the government’s determination to return all those held captive and those who are missing. Netanyahu has also promised to “take appropriate measures” following today’s hostage handover, citing the “serious condition” of the hostages.
On the other hand, an ICRC bus carrying a dozen Palestinian prisoners has arrived in Ramallah, and more other prisoners are expected to be freed shortly, as Israel releases 183 prisoners in exchange for the three hostages released earlier. This handover marks the fifth hostage-prisoner exchange since the ceasefire agreement was signed.
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