Hamas Releases Three Israeli Hostages in Fifth Gaza Exchange

As part of the ongoing prisoner exchange, Hamas has handed over three Israeli hostages in the fifth phase of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

On Saturday, as part of the fifth exchange under a fragile Gaza ceasefire, Hamas militants released three Israeli hostages. Later in the day, 183 prisoners held by Israel were scheduled to be freed.

The exchange follows US President Donald Trump’s proposal to evacuate the Gaza Strip of its residents and for the United States to assume control over the Palestinian territory — a plan that has incited worldwide outrage and been rejected by Hamas.

Excited crowds in Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial center, cheered as they watched live footage of three hostages escorted by masked gunmen onto a stage in Deir el-Balah and subsequently handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The stage was adorned with a banner featuring images of destroyed Israeli armored vehicles and a forlorn-looking Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel.

A group of dozens of armed Hamas fighters had created a perimeter around the open area where the release occurred, seemingly to manage the crowds of spectators.

The hostages were identified as Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami.

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

Family and friends of Israeli hostage Ohad Ben Ami, who had been held in the Gaza Strip since he was captured by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023, rejoice at his release alongside two other hostages by Hamas on February 8, 2025. The celebration took place in Tel Aviv. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP)

The armed men shot the family’s dog, then trapped them in their safe room and set it ablaze. His wife and two daughters were later identified among the victims.

Levy was kidnapped during the Nova music festival, where assailants killed his wife. Ben Ami, holding both Israeli and German citizenships, celebrated his 56th birthday while in captivity.

“The time is now”

Yarden Bibas, a former hostage who was released last week by Hamas militants in Gaza, urged Netanyahu on Friday to assist in bringing his wife and two children back from the Palestinian territory.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu, I’m speaking to you directly… bring back my family, bring back my friends, and bring everyone home,” Bibas stated in his first public message after being released.

Hamas previously stated that his wife, Shiri, and their two sons, Ariel and Kfir — the youngest hostages — were deceased. However, Israel has not confirmed these deaths.

According to a separate statement from the prime minister’s office, Netanyahu is currently in Washington and will “oversee this stage of the hostages’ release from the delegation’s control center in the US.”

On Friday, the Hostage and Missing Families Forum called on the government to maintain the Gaza truce, despite Trump’s remarks causing backlash throughout the Middle East and beyond.

“The Israeli campaign group stated that the whole nation is calling for the hostages to be brought back home.”

“It emphasized that now is the time to make sure every last agreement is completed.”

Israel and Hamas have finalized four exchanges as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement.

Militants from Palestine, under the leadership of Hamas, have released 18 hostages in exchange for approximately 600 prisoners, primarily Palestinians, who were freed from Israeli jails.

The ceasefire, facilitated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, seeks to secure the release of 33 hostages within the initial 42-day period of the agreement.

The second stage of ceasefire negotiations was scheduled to start on Monday; however, details regarding the progress or status of these talks remain undisclosed.

Netanyahu’s office announced that following the swap on Saturday, an Israeli delegation will travel to Doha for additional ceasefire negotiations.

The second phase seeks to ensure the release of additional hostages and lay the groundwork for a lasting resolution to the war that started with Hamas’s attack on October 7.

During the attack, militants captured 251 hostages and took them to Gaza. Seventy-three are still being held, with the Israeli military reporting that 34 of these individuals have died.

According to the health ministry in Gaza, which is administered by Hamas, Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in at least 47,583 deaths, most of whom were civilians. The United Nations regards these figures as reliable.