Hamas hands over last hostages in first phase of Gaza ceasefire

Hamas hands over last hostages in first phase of Gaza ceasefire

Hamas on Saturday handed over five of six hostages set to be released in the Gaza Strip, the last living prisoners agreed to by the conflicting parties as part of a ceasefire in place since last month.

Handover of the hostages in Nuseirat

Thousands, including Hamas fighters, gathered in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip, where three of the hostages - Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert - were handed over to the Red Cross in a solemn ceremony. Several children were also seen on the stage wearing T-shirts with photos of killed Hamas leaders.

Condition of the released hostages

The three hostages appeared emaciated but were in better shape than some of the previously released hostages, whose health had raised concerns in Israel. Omer Shem Tov interacted with some of the Hamas fighters on stage and sent a kiss to the crowd.

Further releases and conditions of the hostages

Another exchange on Saturday led to the release of two prisoners elsewhere in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Tal Shoham, 40, was abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, 2023, while Avera Mengistu, 38, an Israeli from Ashkelon, entered the Gaza Strip in 2014.

The five hostages were later brought to Israel after being handed over to the Israeli military by the Red Cross, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Expected more hostage handovers

Another hostage, Hisham al-Sayed, 37, an Arab-Israeli Bedouin who went to Gaza in 2015, was also due to be handed over in Nuseirat but is now being released elsewhere. A Hamas source told CNN that al-Sayed will be handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza city and that his health is critical.

Background to the hostage taking

Shoham was one of four of the six hostages kidnapped by Hamas-led militants on October 7. Eliya Cohen, 27, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Omer Wenkert, 23, were kidnapped during the Nova music festival, while Shoham was kidnapped from the kibbutz with his two children, wife and mother-in-law; the latter were released in November 2023.

demands of Hamas

Hamas said Friday that it expects Israel to release 602 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. Among these are 50 people sentenced to life imprisonment and another 60 serving long sentences, while 445 have been held in Gaza without being charged since October 7, 2023.

The fate of other hostages is uncertain

The prisoners released on Saturday are the last living hostages agreed between Israel and Hamas as part of indirect talks in Qatar last month. Shortly before they were handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah, Shoham and Mengistu were flanked on stage by armed and masked fighters. They had to accept documents and Shoham was forced to address the crowd.

The sad return of Shiri Bibas

The remains of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday evening. Her remains were supposed to be handed over along with those of her two sons, Kfir and Ariel, and another hostage, Oded Lifshitz. However, forensic tests by Israeli authorities confirmed that while the remains included the two boys and Lifshitz, the fourth body was not Shiri Bibas - nor did it match that of another Israeli hostage, prompting outrage and condemnation.

Future negotiations in view

Following Saturday's releases, Hamas will continue to hold 63 Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip. At least 32 of them are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli government - including soldier Hadar Goldin, who has been held since 2014. If another four hostage transfers take place next week as planned, the first part of the agreement will be completed.

Israel and Hamas are conducting indirect negotiations to extend the ceasefire. These discussions began more than two weeks late. On Saturday, Hamas signaled that it is ready to hand over all remaining Israeli hostages, alive or dead, in a group in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza as part of the next phase of the ceasefire.

This reporting has been updated with additional information. CNN's Tim Lister, Lucas Lilieholm and Brad Lendon contributed to this report.