Hamas has released six Israeli hostages under the first phase of a fragile ceasefire agreement with Israel, including a man held captive for over a decade.
Among those freed are Tal Shoam, 40, who was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and Avera Mengistu, who crossed into Gaza in 2014 and remained in captivity for over ten years. The two were handed over to International Red Cross officials in Rafah, southern Gaza, before being transferred to Israel.
Israeli military sources confirmed their safe return and upcoming reunions with their families. Three more captives—Omer Shem Tov, 22, Eliya Cohen, 27, and Omer Wenkert, 23—who were abducted from the Nova Festival on October 7, are also set to be released. The final release is expected to be Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, a Bedouin Arab Israeli man held since 2015.
The six hostages are the last to be freed under phase one of the ceasefire agreement, which stipulates the release of 33 captives before its scheduled end in early March.
Israeli authorities have confirmed they will proceed with the reciprocal release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the deal, though specific details remain undisclosed. The ceasefire remains fragile amid ongoing tensions between both sides.
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