Hamas releases three Israeli hostages

(Patria) - The Palestinian militant group Hamas today handed over three Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees and prisoners in the latest phase of a ceasefire agreement aimed at paving the way to end the 15-month war in Gaza.

Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi, both taken hostage from Kibbutz Be'eri during the cross-border attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and Or Levy, abducted that day from the Nova music festival, were handed over to the Red Cross, Hamas announced.

In exchange, Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom were convicted for involvement in attacks that killed dozens of people, including 18 serving life sentences and 111 detained in Gaza during the war, according to Hamas.

Dozens of masked and armed Hamas fighters were deployed in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, at the exchange site, where they handed over the hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is transporting them to Israeli forces in Gaza.

Observers reported that shortly before the handover, the Israeli hostages were forced to thank Hamas in a brief statement.

For the families of hostages held in isolation in Gaza for over a year, the wait was filled with anxiety and hope as the moments of reunion approached.

- I can't even begin to describe the emotions, the excitement, how happy we are that it's finally over. We are waiting to hug him, waiting to see Almog (Levy's son) hug his father again - said Michael Levy, brother of Or Levy, who lost his wife in the October 7 attack and has a three-year-old son.

Today's exchange is the latest in a series that has so far returned 13 Israeli and five Thai hostages abducted during the Hamas attack and freed 583 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

This 42-day ceasefire and hostage-for-prisoner exchange was agreed upon with U.S. support and mediation by Egypt and Qatar. However, fears that the deal could collapse before all hostages are freed grew after U.S. President Donald Trump's sudden call for Palestinians to be relocated from Gaza and for the enclave to be handed over to the U.S. and developed into a "Riviera of the Middle East."

Arab states and Palestinian groups rejected the proposal, which critics said would amount to ethnic cleansing.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump's intervention, and his defense minister ordered the military to draw up plans to allow Palestinians who wish to leave Gaza to do so.

Under the ceasefire agreement, 33 Israeli children, women, and sick, wounded, and elderly men are to be released during the initial phase in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Negotiations on the second phase began this week, aiming to return the remaining hostages and agree on a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in preparation for a final end to the war.

Armed attackers led by Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 as hostages.

In response, Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated much of the narrow enclave.