Amidst clouds of uncertainty looming over the already-fragile Gaza ceasefire deal, Hamas, in the latest exchange of hostages, on Saturday freed all six hostages. The six hostages released include three Israeli men who were seized from the Nova music festival. Two of the hostages had been held by Hamas for around a decade since they each entered Gaza on their own.
Five of the captives were handed over to the Red Cross in staged ceremonies that Israel has opposed in the past. The captives were brought by masked armed Hamas fighters, with hundreds of Palestinians being witness to the entire process.
Earier in the day, the militant group released three Israeli men, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen, who were made to pose on a stage as hundreds of Palestinians witnessed the proceedings in the central town of Nuseirat. Shem Tov and Wenkert smiled and waved at the crowd.
As the family watched them getting released, they shouted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered when they saw him for the first time. Shem Tov's grandmother turned emotional as she said, " “Omer, my joy! My life!”
The three were put in Red Cross vehicles that then headed for Israel. Earlier in the day, two other hostages were freed in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. A sixth hostage, 36-year-old Hesham al-Sayed, is also due to be released Saturday.
Cohen, Shem Tov, and Wenkert were abducted by Hamas fighters at the Nova music festival when militants stormed into southern Gaza on October 7, 2023, in the attack that triggered the nearly 16-month Israeli campaign in Gaza.
(With inputs from AP)
