Waffenruhe in the Middle East: Hamas leaves three more hostages in the Gaza strip

As part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, the Islamist Hamas handed over three more hostages to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip. Ohad Ben Ami (56), Or Levy (34) and Eli Scharabi (52) were released on the 491st day of their hostage in Deir al-Balah in the center of the Gaza Strip, as could be seen in a live broadcast on television.

The Israeli army confirmed the handover of the hostages by Hamas, citing the International Committee from the Red Cross (IKRK). The helpers should shortly hand over the emaciated -looking men to the Israeli military.

In return for their release, 183 Palestinian prisoners were to be released from Israeli prisons. Among them are 18 prison terms and 111 Palestinians, who were arrested in the Gaza Strip after October 7th.

Dozens of armed Hamas fighter at the handover

Hundreds of onlookers persecuted the hostage handover, as television recordings showed. Unlike almost a week ago, there was no pushing quantity and no chaos through which the hostages had to make a way. Numerous hooded Hamas members, mostly armed and mostly armed with machine guns, were also present-as well as the previous hostage clearance.

Recordings showed how the pale and thin-looking men were led to a stage by Hamas members. According to Israeli media, they thanked them hostage in the appearance for “care” choreographed by the Hamas.

There was also a fist on the stage with a Palestinian flag. The militarily after 16 months of war extremely weakened Islamist organization has always used the release in the past few weeks as a demonstration of power. With the staged procedure around the hostage handover, Hamas wants to show the world who is in charge in the Gaza Strip.

Hosts have lost close relatives

Among the released is the 56 -year -old Ohad Ben Ami, who reports that German citizenship also has. During the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, he was kidnapped from the Beeri Kibbutz, which was located near the Gaza Strip.

The 34-year-old or Levy was also released. He was together with his wife at the Nova Music Festival near the border to the Gaza Strip 16 months ago. Both fled to a shelter in front of the terrorists, Levy’s wife was killed there, he was kidnapped himself. They had left their little son with his grandparents. According to relatives, the latter hopped with joy on the bed when he heard about his father’s return on Friday.

Eli Scharabi was also released. Terrorists murdered his wife and two daughters during the Hamas massacre. His brother’s body capture Islamists in the Gaza Strip.

After their return to Israel, the men should meet their families after a first medical examination in an army facility. Then they should be brought to clinics in the center of the country.

76 hostages in the Gaza Strip

Palestinian terrorists had delayed the hostages during the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 in Israel. Since the beginning of the ceasefire in the Gaza War on January 19, Hamas has released 16 out of a total of 33 Israeli hostages, which are to be handed over by Hamas during the first phase of the three-stage agreement. In addition, the terrorist organization left five Thai countries, but not as part of the agreement with Israel.

Hamas had previously announced that eight of the 33 Israeli hostages were dead. It is unclear who it is.

After the release of three other kidnappers, a total of 76 hostages are now recorded in the Gaza Strip. 35 of them are according to Israeli information. The next hostages are to be released next weekend. In total, more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners are said to be released in the first phase in exchange for hostages.

Course for ceasefire after Trump’s Gaza plans

Relatives of the hostages had expressed concern that US President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate around two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip could lead to the collapse of the ceasefire and thus thwart the release of further hostages.

In the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump announced that the USA would “take over” the Gaza Strip and transform it into an economically flourishing “Riviera of the Middle East”. According to Trump’s will, the residents of the area will in future be accommodated in other Arab countries in the region. The plan had met with violent rejection among the Palestinians and Arab countries.

Efforts run at the second phase of the ceasefire

The ceasefire had been negotiated in tedious indirect conversations between Israel and Hamas with the mediation of the United States, Qatar and Egypt. Efforts are made to agree on a second phase of the agreement, which should lead to a final end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages.

As part of the first phase of the ceasefire, the Egyptian border crossing to the Gaza Strip in southern Rafah was reopened for the first time in almost nine months ago. Patients from the coastal strip were brought to Egypt for treatment and humanitarian aid goods were transported through the transition to the Gaza Strip. Previously, hundreds of thousands of inland refugees from the south of the Gaza Strip were able to return to the north.

Terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups killed around 1,200 people on October 7, 2023 and abducted more than 250 Israelis as hostages into the Gaza strip on October 7, 2023. The attack was the trigger of the war in the sealed coastal area, where, according to the health authority controlled by the Hamas, more than 47,500 people have been killed since then. The number does not differentiate between civilians and fighters.