RAFAH: Palestinian militants released two Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the first phase of a fragile truce. The release comes amid an ongoing exchange deal that also involves Palestinian prisoners being freed.
The hostages, Tal Shoham and Averu Mengistu, were escorted onto a stage in Rafah, southern Gaza, flanked by armed and masked militants. Shoham was made to address the gathering before both men were handed over to the Red Cross, which transported them in a convoy. Israeli security forces later took custody of them and returned them to Israel.
In Tel Aviv, crowds gathered at ‘Hostages Square’ and reacted with applause and tears upon watching the live broadcast of the release. The event marks an emotional moment for many in Israel, especially following the recent confirmation of hostage Shiri Bibas’s death.
Four additional hostages are set to be released later on Saturday in a separate handover in central Gaza. The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum published the names of the six freed hostages, which include Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Hisham al-Sayed, along with Mengistu and Shoham.
Sayed and Mengistu had been held in Gaza for nearly a decade. Their release follows the ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19 and is scheduled to last until early March. A Hamas source stated that another four hostages would be freed from central Gaza’s Nuseirat later in the day.
As part of the exchange, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club confirmed that Israel would release 602 inmates, most of whom are Gazans arrested after the war began. Some of these prisoners, particularly those serving long sentences, will reportedly be deported outside of Israel and Palestinian territories.
The ceasefire has resulted in the release of 21 living Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners. Saturday’s release follows the return of hostages' bodies on Thursday.
The remains of Shiri Bibas were confirmed on Saturday after a forensic examination, bringing further grief to her family. Hamas had previously admitted a possible mix-up in identifying the bodies due to Israeli airstrikes in the area.
