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Hamas made the three hostages make a public statement before a crowd in Gaza ahead of their release. The emaciated and frail condition of the abductees sparked concern in Israel.
Israeli hostages were made to make public statements in the presence of Hamas fighters before their release in Gaza. (AFP)
Hamas released three more hostages, all Israeli civilian men, on Saturday after more than 16 months in captivity. The hostages were taken for medical treatment and were reunited with their relatives as part of the fifth hostage-prisoner exchange.
However, the “frail and pale” appearance of the three hostages sparked widespread concern in Israel, who described them as “shocking”. The three hostages — Eli Sharabi, 52; Ohad Ben Ami, 56; and Or Levy, 34 — appeared very pale as armed Hamas fighters led them from a white van onto a stage set up in the town of Deir al-Balah.
Hamas fighters pointed a microphone at each of the three hostages in turn and made them make a public statement before a crowd of thousands of people, before handing them over to waiting Red Cross officials. It was the first time hostages freed during this phase of the ceasefire have been made to make public statements during their release.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will not accept the shocking scenes” that played out on Saturday. “We will eliminate Hamas, and we will return our hostages”, he said in a video statement, describing the militants as “monsters”.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the hostages spent “491 days of hell, starved, emaciated and pained” and were “being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle.”
Furthermore, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres demanding that he “publicly condemn” Hamas “following the dire physical condition of the three Israeli hostages.”
Hostages Return In Poor Medical Health
After the hostages reunited with their families, the hospital treating them said Ohad Ben Ami had returned from Gaza in a “severe nutritional state”. and “had lost a significant amount of his body weight” after several months in captivity.
Speaking on the condition of the two other hostages, Yael Frenkel Nir, the director of Sheba Hospital, said: “The consequences of 491 long days in captivity are evident on the two returnees (Or Levy who arrived today and their medical condition is poor. This is the fourth time in the current framework that we have received returnees and the situation is more serious this time.”
Following his release, Levy’s mother Geula told Israel’s Channel 12 that she was sad to see the hostages “thin and pale” but that “slowly, slowly everything will work out”, reported CNN.
All of the three hostages were abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war. Sharabi and Ben Ami were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Beeri, while Levy was abducted from the Nova music festival.
Sharabi’s wife and two teenage daughters were killed during the 2023 attack, while his brother Yossi was also abducted and died in captivity. Levy’s wife was also killed during the attack. His now 3-year-old son has been cared for by relatives for the past 16 months. Levy was unaware of his wife’s death, his mother said.
Relatives of the hostages cheered, clapped and cried as they watched live footage of their loved ones being released. Or Levy’s brother Michael said his brother’s young son, Almog, was already informed his father was on his way.
“I left XXL and came back medium,” joked Ben AMi, who, according to doctors at the hospital, had lost a significant amount of weight in captivity as he reunited with his family. However, the reunions of the two other hostages were marked with grief as they came to know about the death of their loved ones.
Draped in an Israeli flag, Sharabi was welcomed with tears at Sheba Hospital in Ramat Gan by his two sisters and brother, his head covered with a talith, the Jewish prayer shawl.
Israel Releases Palestinian Prisoners
Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday in the latest exchange for Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Many of them appeared emaciated and in poor health. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club reported that seven of the released prisoners required hospitalisation, citing “brutality” and mistreatment during their time in Israeli jails.
Hamas has now released a total of 16 Israeli hostages as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, of a total of 33 promised at staggered intervals during this stage. Eight of those 33 are dead, according to the Israeli government. Hamas still holds 73 people taken from Israel.
Saturday’s swap also follows comments by President Donald Trump, suggesting the United States should take control of the Gaza Strip and remove its inhabitants, which sparked global outrage.
(with inputs from agencies)
- Location :
Jerusalem, Israel