Hamas released the last six living Israeli hostages promised under the initial phase of the cease-fire deal on Saturday.
However, the handover also included the devastating return of an Israeli mother’s remains, deepening the anguish of her family.
The first two freed captives, Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu, were transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross at a designated site in Rafah, southern Gaza. Later in the day, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, and Omer Wenkert were released in Nuseirat and transported to an IDF facility near the Israel-Gaza border for medical evaluation.
As seen in previous releases, Hamas staged elaborate propaganda ceremonies for the hostages. One video showed Omer Shem Tov appearing thin but smiling while interacting with his captors. A moment captured on film even depicted him kissing the forehead of a Hamas militant before his release.
His father, Malki Shem Tov, told the Times of Israel, “We had no idea what he would look like. Seeing him step out with that smile and wave is unbelievable.” All five individuals were reunited with their families by Saturday morning, with emotional reunions captured on video.
In a separate handover, Hisham Al-Sayed was released in Gaza City without a public ceremony. The Red Cross, which has played a central role in these exchanges, facilitated his transfer.
However, the release was overshadowed by the grim revelation that Hamas terrorists mistakenly handed over the remains of a Gazan woman instead of Shiri Bibas, an Israeli mother who was supposed to be returned along with her two young sons.
Bibas, 32, was kidnapped during the October 7 attack alongside Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months, who was the youngest hostage taken during the massacre.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident, vowing that Hamas would “pay the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the agreement.” In response, Hamas officials claimed the misidentification was an “unfortunate mistake” and promised an investigation. Israeli authorities confirmed Friday that Bibas’ body had indeed been returned.
An autopsy confirmed that Hamas terrorists had killed Ariel and Kfir Bibas “in cold blood” with their bare hands. The militant group had previously claimed the children died in an airstrike, but the IDF refuted those claims.
The Bibas family became a stark symbol of Hamas’ brutality after footage of them being forcibly taken from their Kibbutz Nir Oz home spread globally. On Thursday, the terrorists staged another grotesque act by parading the bodies, believed to be Shiri Bibas and her sons, as well as that of 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz, before handing them over.
Bibas’ husband, Yarden, had been abducted separately but was freed on February 1.
Among those released Saturday were two long-term hostages, Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed, who Hamas had held for more than a decade.
Mengistu, an Ethiopian-born Israeli national, was captured in September 2014 after crossing the border alone, just two weeks after a major conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Al-Sayed was taken hostage in February 2015 under similar circumstances. Both men had been detained long before the October 7, 2023, massacre, which saw 1,200 Israelis killed and 251 taken hostage.
The three other newly freed hostages, Cohen, 27, Shem Tov, 22, and Wenkert, 23, had all been seized during the Nova music festival attack, where 364 concertgoers were killed.
Hamas militants also murdered Cohen’s nephew, Amit ben Avida, and his nephew’s girlfriend, along with Wenkert’s friend, before taking around 44 captives. On the other hand, Shoham was taken while visiting his in-laws in Kibbutz Be’eri. His wife, two daughters, and mother-in-law were also kidnapped but later released in November 2023. His father-in-law was executed during the assault.
The latest hostage releases appear to be linked to Israel’s decision to allow mobile homes and construction materials into Gaza. Under the cease-fire deal’s first phase, 33 hostages are to be exchanged for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. This stage is set to conclude by March 2.
Meanwhile, regional tensions escalated further on Thursday when a suspected terror attack involving three bus explosions near Tel Aviv took place.
According to Israeli officials, Hamas still holds 59 hostages, with 36 believed to be dead. At least four more bodies are expected to be returned before the first phase of the cease-fire expires. Among those anticipated for release in the second phase is Edan Alexander, 20, a New Jersey native who is the last known American hostage believed to be alive in Gaza.
Negotiations for the second stage of the truce were set to begin on February 4, but talks have yet to commence. Israeli authorities indicated discussions would finally start “this week.”
Ahead of the negotiations, a senior Hamas official suggested the group might be willing to release all remaining hostages in one batch in exchange for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
However, Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected such terms, insisting that Israel will not halt the war until Hamas is completely eradicated from the territory.
Further complicating matters, Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to President Trump’s proposed plan to relocate more than 2 million Palestinians and rebuild the enclave, according to the Times of Israel.
With Post wires
