Hamas has announced the upcoming release of three male hostages on Saturday, including two men in their 50s and one in his 30s who is believed to be injured.
The hostages to be released are Eli Sharabi, 51; Ohad Ben-Ami, 56; and Or Levy, 34. This release will mark the fifth since the initial phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire began on Jan. 19, with all the freed captives being men.
Sharabi was abducted from Kibbutz Beeri on Oct. 7, 2023, during an attack that resulted in the tragic loss of his wife and daughters. His brother Yossi Sharabi, who was also taken hostage, was unfortunately killed in captivity.
Ben-Ami, a German citizen and resident of Beeri, was abducted alongside his wife, who was previously released during a ceasefire in November 2023.
Levy was captured during the Nova music festival massacre, where he was one of the few survivors out of a group of 20 sheltering festival-goers.
The ceasefire’s first phase, set to last 42 days until early March, includes the release of a total of 33 hostages, eight of whom have been confirmed deceased. In return, Israel is releasing a larger number of Palestinian security prisoners. Negotiations are ongoing for the subsequent stages of the deal, which would result in the freedom of the remaining hostages.
As per the ceasefire terms, Hamas agreed to release women first, followed by older men and those with health issues. Among the remaining hostages, Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel and Kfir are still held captive, with their fate uncertain. Yarden Bibas, the husband and father, was released last week.
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