Three Israeli Hostages Freed in Fifth Exchange Under Gaza Ceasefire

TDT | Manama

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Three Israeli hostages held by Hamas militants were released on Saturday and have safely returned to Israeli territory, the Israeli military confirmed. The release was part of the fifth exchange under the ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreement.

"A short while ago, accompanied by IDF [military] and ISA [security agency] forces, the returning hostages—Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami, and Eli Sharabi—crossed the border into Israeli territory," the Israeli military said in a statement. The three men were expected to be reunited with their families at a reception point in southern Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office described the images of the freed hostages as "shocking" after Hamas militants presented them on a stage before handing them over to the Red Cross. "The shocking images that we have seen today will not go unaddressed," the statement read.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog strongly condemned the treatment of the hostages, calling it a "crime against humanity." He criticized Hamas for parading the visibly frail men in front of cameras before their release.

"This is what a crime against humanity looks like! The whole world must look directly at Ohad, Or, and Eli—returning after 491 days of hell, starved, emaciated, and pained—being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle by vile murderers," Herzog stated on social media platform X.

The latest exchange marks a continued effort to secure the release of Israeli hostages under the fragile ceasefire deal. However, tensions remain high as Israel and Hamas continue negotiations over further exchanges and the broader conflict.