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Horrific

Freed hostage Eli Sharabi didn't know his wife and kids were killed on October 7th 

Imagine surviving nearly 500 days in hell only to discover your wife and kids were murdered.

Eli Sharabi

Three Israeli hostages were released Saturday looking severely emaciated after nearly 500 days in Hamas captivity, prompting outrage from Israeli officials and family members over their deteriorated condition.

Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza's Deir al-Balah in what the International Committee of the Red Cross described as a concerning "grotesque spectacle." The men appeared visibly gaunt and pale during the staged handover, where they were made to stand between masked Hamas militants before being transferred to Israeli authorities.

"He looks like he's just come out of a concentration camp," said Pete Brisley, Sharabi's British father-in-law, describing his shock at his son-in-law's appearance. Sharabi faces the additional trauma of learning that his wife Lianne and two teenage daughters were killed in the October 7 attack. His brother Yossi, also taken hostage, died in captivity.

In this footage, Yossi was filmed earlier today - telling Hamas terrorists that he is excited to reunite with his wife and daughters - before he found out the horrific truth.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office condemned the hostages' condition as "shocking" and vowed there would be consequences, stating, "We will not ignore the shocking images we saw today." Gal Hirsch, Israel's Coordinator for Captives and Missing Persons, said the government views Hamas's "repeated violations with utmost severity" and that "actions will be taken accordingly."

The release is part of the latest ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. In exchange, Israel freed 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. Seventy-six Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, both living and deceased, from the original 251 taken on October 7.

The current ceasefire deal, which began January 19, calls for the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. To date, 16 hostages have been freed across five releases, while 566 prisoners have been released by Israel.

BBC contributed to this article.

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