Hamas freed two hostages on Saturday in trade for greater than 600 Palestinian prisoners as a part of the delicate ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The boys have been recognized as Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 39. Video footage confirmed the 2 males wanting frail and scared as they have been taken to a stage in entrance of a crowd whereas flanked by masked gunmen. They have been handed over to the Pink Cross and have been on their option to IDF forces.
A further 4 hostages – Omer Wenkert, 23; Omer Shem Tov, 22; Hisham Al-Sayed, 36; and Eliya Cohen, 27 – have been anticipated to even be launched later Saturday.
Two of the hostages — Mengistu and Al-Sayed — are civilians who’ve been held since coming into Gaza on their very own greater than a decade in the past, lengthy earlier than the conflict sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault in opposition to Israel, which prompted navy retaliation from Israeli forces.
This comes as the fragile ceasefire deal reached a month in the past stays in place regardless of latest revelations that hostage Shiri Bibas’ physique was not initially returned to Israel as promised by Hamas.
A boy holds a weapon as he stands subsequent to a Hamas fighter standing in place forward of handing over 4 our bodies to the Pink Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned Hamas would “pay the total value” for allegedly handing over the physique of a Palestinian girl from Gaza as an alternative of the physique of the Israeli hostage. The hostage’s sons — Ariel and Kfir Bibas — together with Oded Lifshitz have been returned by Hamas on Thursday as anticipated.
Late Friday, Hamas mentioned it handed over Shiri Bibas’ physique to the Pink Cross, which confirmed it had acquired human stays inside Gaza and transferred them to Israeli authorities. Bibas’ household confirmed her id early Saturday.
TERROR GROUP RESPONDS AFTER FAILING TO RETURN THE BODY OF MURDERED HOSTAGE SHIRI BIBAS
Pink Cross automobiles arrive to gather coffins containing 4 our bodies that have been handed over by Hamas militants in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP)
Hamas mentioned it “has no real interest in withholding any our bodies in its possession.” The fear group mentioned the lifeless hostages handed over on Thursday had been killed by an Israeli airstrike in November 2023 and that the our bodies may have been misidentified resulting from bombardments within the space.
A poster reveals Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped to Gaza along with her husband and two younger sons on Oct. 7, 2023, in Jerusalem, Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (AP)
The fear group additionally killed Ariel and Kfir Bibas “with their naked fingers,” in accordance with the Israeli navy, which didn’t provide proof to assist the declare.
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Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari alleged that forensic evaluation of the Bibas boys’ our bodies confirmed that Hamas “didn’t shoot the boys,” however “killed them with their naked fingers” after which “dedicated horrific acts to cowl up these atrocities.” Hagari mentioned Lifshitz was killed by captors inside Gaza.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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