Hamas has released six hostages, following Israel’s confirmation that a body handed over just hours before belonged to hostage Shiri Bibas.
This morning, masked militants showcased Tal Shoham, 40, and Averu Mengistu, 39, on stage in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, before transferring them to Red Cross officials.
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Additionally, three other hostages – Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and 23-year-old Omer Wenkert – were brought to a stage at the Nuseirat refugee camp before being handed over to the Red Cross.
The Israeli military has confirmed that all five men are now in Israel.
A sixth hostage, identified as 36-year-old Hisham Al-Sayed, who has been in Gaza since 2015, has also been turned over to the Red Cross.
These six are the last living hostages from a group of 33 released under the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement that began on January 19.
The tenuous truce in the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants faced jeopardy due to the incorrect identification of a released body as that of Ms. Bibas, who was abducted alongside her two young sons and her husband during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
However, late last night, Hamas delivered another body, which her family confirmed to be hers.
“Last night, our Shiri was brought home,” the family stated, noting that she had been identified by Israel’s Institute of Forensic Medicine.
The family of Shiri Bibas expressed relief over the return of her body.
Mr. Mengistu’s family has spoken about the “unimaginable suffering” they have endured throughout over a decade of his captivity.
“Our family has experienced 10 years and five months of unimaginable suffering,” their statement said, adding that they “gather in anxious anticipation for the return of our beloved son, brother, and uncle Avera.”
Averu Mengistu is escorted on stage by Hamas fighters prior to his handover to the Red Cross.
In exchange for the release of the six hostages, Israel is expected to free 602 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from its jails as part of the latest phase of an ongoing exchange that has largely been maintained.
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Friends of Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov reacted in Tel Aviv while watching the release of the hostages.
The Bibas family has become a symbol of the trauma experienced by Israel on that fateful day. The misidentification of Shiri Bibas’s remains, as well as the orchestrated presentation of their coffins by Hamas, provoked outrage among Israelis.
Her husband, Yarden, who was detained separately from his family, was released on February 1.
Israel has not disclosed details surrounding the deaths of the Bibas hostages: family.
According to the Israeli military, intelligence assessments and forensic analyses of the bodies of 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and his four-year-old brother Ariel indicated both were intentionally killed by their captors.
Israel’s Army Radio, referring to forensic findings, suggested that Ms. Bibas was likely killed along with her children.
Despite this, the Bibas family claims that Israeli authorities have not provided them with any information about the deaths of Ms. Bibas and her sons.
“Any release of details (including references to the treatment of the bodies) contradicts the family’s wishes, and we request that this be avoided,” a family statement expressed.
“The family has not received any such information from official sources,” it continued, following an Israeli military announcement declaring that the two young sons of hostage Shiri Bibas were killed by “terrorists with their bare hands.”
“Any such release adds profound pain to the family at this time.”
Hamas has long claimed that an Israeli airstrike was responsible for killing Ms. Bibas and her sons at the beginning of the war.
However, the Israeli military contends that they were killed by militants instead.
The Bibas family has labeled the deaths as murder while requesting that specific details regarding the manner of death not be publicly disclosed.
“The family asks that no further information be shared concerning the fact that Shiri and the children were murdered by their captors,” they stated.
“Yarden and the family want the world to recognize this as murder without delving into any specifics.”
The ceasefire has temporarily halted the fighting, yet the chances of a definitive resolution to the conflict remain uncertain. Hamas, responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages during their assault on Israel, has endeavored to show that it still maintains control over Gaza despite significant losses in the war.
The Israeli campaign has resulted in at least 48,000 deaths, according to Palestinian health officials, while substantial portions of Gaza have been devastated, leaving hundreds of thousands in makeshift shelters reliant on aid trucks.
Both parties have expressed intentions to commence discussions about a second phase, with mediators suggesting that the goal is to negotiate the return of around 60 remaining hostages, of whom less than half are believed to be alive, along with the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Nevertheless, optimism for a resolution has been overshadowed by disputes surrounding the future of Gaza, exacerbated by regional shock over US President Donald Trump’s proposal to evacuate Palestinians from the territory and manage it under US oversight.
