Hamas frees five hostages in Gaza after body of Shiri Bibas returned

Hamas freed five hostages and was set to release one more from Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, after Israel confirmed that a body handed over hours earlier was that of hostage Shiri Bibas.

Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Omer Wenkert, 23, all seized from the site of the Nova music festival in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, were handed over to the Red Cross to be transported to Israeli forces.

Dozens of masked militants stood guard in a crowd that had gathered to watch the handover, as Hamas men armed with automatic rifles stood on each side of the three hostages, who appeared thin and pale, as they were made to wave from the stage.

Tal Shoham, 40 and Avera Mengistu, 39, were released in southern Gaza’s Rafah earlier.

A sixth hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was expected to be released in Gaza City.

Al-Sayed and Mengistu have been held by Hamas since they entered Gaza of their own accord around a decade ago. Shoham was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri along with his wife and two children, who were freed in a brief truce in November 2023.

The six are the last living hostages from a group of 33 due to be freed in the first stage of the ceasefire deal that took effect on January 19. Around 60 more captives, less than half of whom are believed to be alive, remain in Gaza.

Hundreds of Israelis gathered in the rain in what has become known as Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Some lit candles under photos of the Bibas family, whose bodies were returned this week, and others cheered as they watched the release on screen.

Among those watching the release broadcast on a large screen was Yael Alexander. Her son, a soldier and a dual U.S.-Israeli national, was abducted from a military base near Gaza in the October attack.

“It’s giving me a lot of hope that our son Edan will be next,” she said.

Further south, more people lined the road near the Gaza border to welcome the convoy carrying the freed captives.

The Hamas-directed releases, which have included public ceremonies in which captives are taken on stage and some made to speak, have faced mounting criticism, including from the United Nations, which denounced the “parading of hostages”.