Hamas Releases Three Israeli Hostages in Fifth Gaza Swap

Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the fifth prisoner exchange under the ongoing Gaza ceasefire, with 183 Palestinian detainees released later in the day.

Live footage showed a bus carrying the freed Palestinian prisoners from Israel’s Ofer prison to the occupied West Bank, where crowds gathered to welcome them.

The swap comes amid heightened tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial proposal to relocate Gaza’s population and have the U.S. take control of the Palestinian territory—a plan met with global backlash and outright rejection by Hamas.

Hostages Identified

The released hostages—Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami—were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah. The scene was heavily guarded by Hamas militants, with banners displaying destroyed Israeli tanks and a somber image of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sharabi, 52, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri, where his wife and two daughters were killed. Levy was taken from the Nova music festival, where his wife was also murdered. Ben Ami, a dual Israeli-German citizen, turned 56 while in captivity.

Calls to Extend Ceasefire

Former hostage Yarden Bibas, freed last week, urged Netanyahu to secure the release of his wife and two young children, who Hamas claims are dead—though Israel has yet to confirm this.

“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.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum has called on the Israeli government to continue the ceasefire deal to ensure more hostages are freed.

Next Steps in Doha

So far, 18 hostages have been released in exchange for around 600 Palestinian prisoners. Mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., the ceasefire deal aims to facilitate more exchanges in a second phase, with further negotiations set to take place in Doha.

The war, which began after Hamas’s October 7 attack, has seen 251 hostages taken into Gaza. Of those, 73 remain in captivity, including at least 34 whom the Israeli military believes are dead.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reports that at least 47,583 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliation, with the majority being civilians. The UN considers these figures credible.

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