The Hamas group has released three more hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
This is reported by The Times of Israel.
Ohad Ben Ami, 56, Eli Sharabi, 52, and Ora Levi, 34, were handed over to Israel. Red Cross vehicles are taking the hostages to IDF
Freed Israeli hostages (left to right): El Sharabi, Or Levi, and Ohad Ben Ami.
The Times of Israel
As part of the exchange, Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners. 111 of them were detained in the Gaza Strip during the war, 72 people in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Among them, 18 people were serving life sentences.
This is the fifth hostage swap since the start of the truce between Israel and Hamas. Israel has now returned 21 of the 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the deal. Israel says eight of those to be released have died.
Israelʼs war in the Gaza Strip
Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have continued since October 7, 2023, when militants of the Islamist group launched a massive rocket attack on southern and central Israel, invaded the countryʼs territory, killed hundreds of civilians, and took hostages.
On the evening of January 15, 2025, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. This could ease tensions in the Middle East, where conflicts continue in the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
The last hostage release by the parties took place on February 1. Hamas militants handed over three Israeli citizens to the Israeli army, and Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners.
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