Hamas has released five hostages from Gaza, with one more expected to be freed shortly, as part of a deal with Israel. This comes after the body of Shiri Bibas, one of the hostages kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack, was confirmed as hers by Israeli authorities.
Among those released were Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, and Omer Wenkert, who had been captured at the Nova music festival. Additionally, Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu were released in southern Gaza. Hisham Al-Sayed is anticipated to be freed next. These individuals are part of a group of hostages being exchanged in a ceasefire deal involving hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The body of Shiri Bibas had been misidentified earlier, sparking controversy. However, after the confirmation on Friday, her family expressed relief, with her body returned to Israel. The tragic fate of her two young children, Kfir and Ariel, is now confirmed, as they were reportedly killed by their captors.
Israel is expected to release 602 Palestinian prisoners, including those detained during the conflict, in exchange for the hostages. The ceasefire has held despite rising criticism of Hamas’ public handling of the releases, including the staged ceremonies with captives being shown on stage.
