Hamas released three more Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the Palestinian prisoner exchange, which were announced to speak effectively at gunpoint in a highly dramatic handover.
The hostage release is the fifth in a series of tense exchanges as part of a 42-day ceasefire deal that came into effect last month, suspending the battle between Israel and Hamas. Hamas agreed to gradually release Chapter 33 of the nearly 100 hostages remaining in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and some Israeli evacuated.
Here is a closer look at the Israelis released on Saturday:
Oh, Ben Ami
Raz Ben Ami told the New York Times in August, adding: “The only thing that matters is to come back.
Ella Ben Ami, one of the couple’s three daughters, is an advocate for a ceasefire deal. She criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to speak in Congress in July, saying he should not travel abroad before reaching a deal to release the hostages. A video posted on social media in August showed Ms. Ben Ami near the border, Gaza called her father’s name with a microphone in her hand and said she missed him.
According to his brother Kobi, his family marked the day on his bike and ceremony during his second birthday captivity in December, his brother Kobi ( Kobi told Israeli news media that he was riding along his bike and about 200 people joined them. In honor of the 11 cyclists and hostages killed on November 7, including Mr. Ben Ami. He said the family has received no signs of his still alive since his arrest.
Or taxed
Mr. Levy was 33 years old when he was taken hostage. His wife, Eynav Levy, died on October 7. Their son had only two at the time, and his parents attended his parents’ Nova Festival, an event just a few miles from the Gaza border that was a key target of the attack.
Mr Levi texted his mother during the attack, including from the shelter where militants rushed into. The Israeli military later informed the family that Ms. Levi’s body was found in the shelter and Mr. Levi was held in Gaza.
Both of the couple are technical and live near Tel Aviv. Mr. Levy’s older brother, Michael Levy, spoke about the grim situation at an event in California in March, one of many trips he has been doing around the world, asking them to urge the hostage deal. At the time, he said he had not received any signs of his brother’s death, but was not very optimistic about the deal.
Eli Sharabi
Mr. Sarabee was also kidnapped by Be’eri, whose wife and their two daughters were killed in the attack.
The Israeli military later told his family that his brother Yossi was also regarded as a hostage in Gaza and was killed in an Israeli air strike.
His brother Sharon said in December that news about progress on the ceasefire agreement prompted “a new hope among hostage families, who may see loved ones again – at the same time, nervous.”
“We lost four people,” he said. “We are not going to fill the fifth coffin.”
