Star Metro - Hamas frees three Israeli hostages in fifth Gaza exchange

With Israel expected to release 183 prisoners in exchange, AFP journalists in the occupied West Bank saw a bus carrying freed Palestinians leave an Israeli jail and later arriving in the city of Ramallah.

The fifth exchange since the truce took effect last month comes as negotiations are set to begin on a more permanent end to the war.

It came after President Donald Trump floated a proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and clear out its inhabitants, sparking global outrage.

Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi, who were all seized by militants during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the 15-month war, "crossed the border into Israeli territory", the Israeli military said.

Jubilant crowds in Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv cheered as they watched live footage of the three hostages, flanked by masked gunmen, brought on stage in Deir el-Balah before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

But the joy of their release was quickly overtaken by concern for their condition, with all three appearing thin and pale.

- 'No time to waste' -

The choreographed handover included forced statements from the three on stage, in which they stated support for finalising the next phases of the Israel-Hamas truce.

"The disturbing images... serve as yet another stark and painful evidence that leaves no room for doubt -- there is no time to waste for the hostages! We must get them all out," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose dejected-looking image appeared on a banner at the Deir el-Balah handover site, said that the images out of Gaza were "shocking".

Israel's President Isaac Herzog denounced the treatment of the hostages who were paraded on stage, calling it "a crime against humanity".

"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 said on X.

Sharabi, 52, was at his home in kibbutz Beeri with his British-born wife and their two daughters when militants stormed it.

Ben Ami, who has dual Israeli-German citizenship, turned 56 in captivity. He was abducted from his home in Beeri along with his wife, who was released during the war's first truce in November 2023.

Levy was abducted from the Nova music festival, where gunmen murdered his wife.

- 'Now is the time' -

Former hostage Yarden Bibas, who was freed last week by Hamas militants in Gaza, on Friday urged Netanyahu to help bring back his wife and two children from the Palestinian territory.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu, I'm now addressing you with my own words... bring my family back, bring my friends back, bring everyone home," Bibas said in his first public message following his release.

Hamas previously said his wife Shiri and his two sons Ariel and Kfir -- the youngest hostages -- were dead, but Israel has not confirmed their deaths.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum urged the Israeli government on Friday to stick with the Gaza truce, even as Trump's comments sparked backlash across the Middle East and beyond.

"An entire nation demands to see the hostages return home," the Israeli campaign group said in a statement.

"Now is the time to ensure the agreement is completed -- until the very last one," it added.

- Talks in Doha -

Palestinian militants have so far freed 21 hostages in exchange for hundreds of mostly Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.

The ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, aims to secure the release of 11 more hostages during the first 42-day phase of the agreement.

Negotiations on the second stage of the ceasefire were set to begin on Monday, but there have been no details on the status of the talks.

Netanyahu's office said that after Saturday's swap, an Israeli delegation will head to Doha for further talks.

The second phase aims to secure the release of more hostages and pave the way for a permanent end to the war.

During their October 2023 attack, militants took 251 hostages to Gaza. Seventy-three remain in captivity, including 34 whom the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel's retaliation has killed at least 47,583 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.

P.M.Martin--SMC