Updated February 08, 2025 at 06:36 AM ET
TEL AVIV, Israel – Hamas released three more Israeli hostages Saturday, as a fragile ceasefire deal between the Palestinian militant group and Israel continued to hold into a fourth week.
Eliyahu Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – three male civilians – were handed over by Hamas militants to the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Deir al Balah surrounded by crowds of onlookers. Unlike previous handovers, the hostages, flanked by heavily armed gunmen, made statements before the crowd. The three men appeared gaunt and pale after 16 months in captivity.
The images of the men provoked shock and drew swift condemnation in Israel.
"This hell cannot go on any longer!" Einav Zangauker, mother of an Israeli still being held hostage, said in a video posted on X. "The three who returned today are Holocaust survivors."
She accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing negotiations over further hostage releases.
In a statement, Netanyahu noted the men's condition and vowed to take "appropriate actions."
The men appeared to be in worse condition than previous hostages that Hamas released. It was not known where they had been held during months of war that devastated large areas of the Gaza Strip and caused severe shortages of food.
Israel released more than 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in return, in the fifth such exchange, including some that are serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis.
Seven of the Palestinians sent to the Israeli-occupied West Bank were taken to hospital upon their release, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. One had injuries from a severe beating, while others were treated for malnourishment and fatigue, Ahmed Jibril, a spokesperson for the organization, told NPR.
More than 100 of those released were sent to Gaza, while some who had been serving life sentences were to be deported to neighboring Egypt.
This weekend's hostage-for-prisoner exchange is the first since President Trump floated a plan to have the U.S. take over Gaza and relocate the nearly two million Palestinians elsewhere. The proposal invited the ire of Hamas' leadership in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, as well as rejection from regional leaders and many U.S allies.
Trump made the proposal Tuesday as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington D.C. Speaking to reporters at the White House Friday, Trump said he viewed the proposal as "a real estate transaction, where we'll be an investor in that part of the world." He added that he was in "no rush to do anything."
Also Friday, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on the terms of the agreement, amid signs that the ceasefire agreement was fraying, alleging that Israel had not allowed certain humanitarian aid — like shelters, debris removal equipment, and fuel — into Gaza that it says are needed for reconstruction efforts.
Israel's military released a statement saying that it had deployed troops at several points in the Gaza Strip and were "ready in defense."
The three civilian men were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023 in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and during which around 250 people were taken hostage.
There are still 76 hostages — both civilians and soldiers — being held in Gaza, many of whom are believed to be dead, according to Israel.
As part of the agreement, Israel is set to withdraw fully on Sunday from a strategic corridor that it created during the war to divide Gaza. Talks for the next phase of the ceasefire deal, which would see more hostages released for prisoners and a further withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, are expected to begin this weekend.
The U.S. has been helping mediate those talks and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Israel and key Arab states — Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — next week, the State Department said.
Yanal Jabarin in Tel Aviv, Nuha Musleh in Ramallah and Ahmed Abuhamda in Cairo contributed to this report.
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