Hamas frees six hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees
STORY: Hamas freed six hostages from Gaza on Saturday in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu were released first, in southern Gaza's Rafah.
Followed by Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert, all seized from the site of the Nova music festival in Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
They were handed over to the Red Cross in Nuseirat to be transported to Israeli forces.
Dozens of militants stood guard in a crowd that had gathered to watch the handover, as armed and masked Hamas men stood on each side of the three men.
Hamas later handed over a sixth hostage in Gaza City, Hisham Al-Sayed, with no public ceremony.
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 between Israel and Hamas that took effect on January 19.
Hundreds of Israelis gathered 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.
The Hamas-directed hostage releases have included public ceremonies in which captives are taken on stage and some made to speak.
They have faced criticism, with the United Nations denouncing what it calls the "parading of hostages."
Hamas rejected the criticism Saturday, describing the ceremonies as a solemn show of Palestinian unity.
In return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in its jails.
They will include 445 Gazans rounded up by Israeli forces during the war, as well as dozens of convicts serving lengthy or life terms.
Around 60 more Israeli captives, less than half of whom are believed to be alive, remain in Gaza.
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