Hamas on Saturday released Israeli hostages Ohad Ben Ami, 56, Eli Sharabi, 52, and Or Levy, 34, in the fifth batch of the hostages-for-terrorists deal.
“Released hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami are now in the hands of IDF troops in the Gaza Strip,” The Times of Israel reported citing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). “The three released hostages will be brought out of the Strip to an army facility near the border community of Re’im for an initial checkup.”
The three hostages are to be reunited with their families after 491 days of horrific captivity in which they witnessed torture and murdered of several of their fellow captives at the hands of Hamas terrorists.
Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, kidnapped Ohad Ben and Eli Sharab from their homes in Kibbutz Be’eri. Or Levy was taken hostage at the Nova festival.
Media reports suggest that returning hostage, Eli Sharabi, may still be unaware that Hamas murdered his family on October 7, 2023.
Eli “was abducted from his home in Be’eri on October 7, the day of the Hamas-led massacre,” the newspaper Israel Hayom noted. “His wife, Lianne, and their two daughters, 13-year-old Yahel and 16-year-old Noya, were murdered.”
“Hamas hostage ‘may not know wife and daughters are dead’,” the BBC reported citing Eli’s close relatives.
Masked Hamas terrorists, dressed in pristine military fatigues (unused as they masqueraded as Gaza civilians in the 15 month-long conflict), staged their customary depraved ceremony while freeing the hostages, signing fake documents with the Red Cross staffers in a bid to feign legitimacy.
Red Cross officials, who merrily chatted with the terrorists on the day of the release, never showed up to inquire about the well-being on the hostages during their 491 days of horrific captivity — many of whom were raped, tortured and murdered by their captors, while survivors were denied proper food and medication.
The tortured and emaciated hostages were dragged on to a makeshift stage and forced to read out terrorist propaganda surrounded by a gang of heavily-armed terrorists before their handover to the Red Cross.
“Three Israeli hostages visibly thin were brought out by Hamas to participate in a ceremony for their release, they were made to make statements calling on Israel to complete all phases of the cease-fire deal,” the Israeli news website YNET reported. “After the three made their statements they were led by armed terrorists to the Red Cross cars waiting to take them and deliver them to the IDF.”
Hamas has so far released 18 Israeli hostages in exchange for 383 Palestinian terrorists since the hostages-for-terrorists deal began on 19 January. The terror group expected 183 terrorists, including murderers and terrorist masterminds, to be returned for the three hostages it freed on Saturday.
Nearly 2000 terrorists are expected to be freed for the return of 33 hostages in the first phases of the three stage deal. Hamas still holds 69 Israeli hostages, many of them believed to be dead.
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