Hamas Releases Three Israeli Hostages in Fifth Gaza Exchange

On Saturday, Hamas militants released three Israeli hostages as part of the fifth exchange under a fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Later in the day, 183 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel were also expected to be freed. The swap followed a controversial proposal from US President Donald Trump, suggesting the evacuation of Gaza and the US assuming control of Palestinian territories—an idea that sparked international outcry and was firmly rejected by Hamas.

In Tel Aviv, crowds erupted in cheers as they watched live footage of the three hostages being brought on stage in Deir el-Balah, accompanied by masked gunmen, before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The stage was decorated with a banner featuring images of destroyed Israeli armored vehicles and a somber portrait of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hamas fighters, armed and forming a cordon around the venue, appeared to be managing the large crowd of spectators. The three hostages were identified as Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami. Sharabi, 52, was taken from his home in the kibbutz Beeri, where his British-born wife and two daughters were present. Levy was kidnapped from a music festival where his wife was killed, while Ben Ami, who holds dual Israeli-German citizenship, marked his 56th birthday in captivity.

In a separate development, Yarden Bibas, a former hostage freed last week, made a heartfelt public plea for the return of his wife and children. “Prime Minister Netanyahu, I’m now addressing you… bring my family back, bring my friends back, bring everyone home,” Bibas urged.

Hamas had previously stated that Bibas’ wife, Shiri, and their sons, Ariel and Kfir, were deceased, though Israel has not confirmed their deaths. Netanyahu, who is currently in Washington, is overseeing the release process from the US delegation’s control center.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum called on the Israeli government to uphold the Gaza truce, despite backlash sparked by Trump’s comments across the Middle East. “An entire nation demands to see the hostages return home,” the group said. “Now is the time to complete the agreement — until the very last one.”

To date, four exchanges have been carried out as part of the first stage of the ceasefire agreement. The militants, led by Hamas, have released 18 hostages in exchange for about 600 Palestinian prisoners.

The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is designed to secure the release of 33 hostages during the first 42 days. Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire were scheduled to begin on Monday, although details on the talks were not immediately available. Following Saturday’s swap, an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Doha to continue the discussions, with the goal of securing more hostages’ release and working toward a permanent end to the conflict.

The violence that began with Hamas’s attack on October 7 has seen 251 hostages taken to Gaza, with 73 still held in captivity. Israel’s retaliatory strikes have killed at least 47,583 people in Gaza, the majority of whom are civilians, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. These figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.