Palestinian militants have released two Israeli hostages, among the last to be freed under the first phase of a fragile truce, which also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The release brought an emotional end to a tense two days in Israel, where the family of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, confirmed receiving her remains. Bibas and her two young sons became symbols of the suffering endured by Israeli hostages since the Gaza war began.
Palestinian militants seized numerous hostages during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking over 15 months of conflict in Gaza. The freed hostages, Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu, were escorted by militants to a stage in Rafah, southern Gaza, where Shoham addressed the crowd while flanked by armed fighters. The two were then handed over to the Red Cross, which transported them to Israeli territory. Israeli security forces took custody of the men.
In Tel Aviv, hundreds gathered in “Hostages Square,” clapping and some in tears, as they watched a broadcast of the release. Four other hostages, including Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Hisham al-Sayed, were also set to be released in a separate ceremony in Gaza. Mengistu and Sayed had been held for around a decade.
These releases were part of a ceasefire deal that started on January 19 and is scheduled to end in early March. A Hamas source confirmed that additional hostages from Gaza’s Nuseirat would be released
