Six Israeli hostages return home – and we are overjoyed

Hamas freed six living Israeli hostages today, identified as the last group of live captives scheduled for release under the initial six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement, which is set to conclude by March 1, 2025. The releases occurred in staged ceremonies across Gaza, with the hostages handed over to the Red Cross for transfer back to Israel. In exchange, Israel is expected to release over 600 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, marking this as the largest swap under the current ceasefire terms.

Who Were the Hostages?

The six hostages released today are:

Tal Shoham, 40: Kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. He was a resident of northern Israel at the time of his abduction.
Avera Mengistu, 39: Held in Gaza for nearly a decade, having entered the territory around 2014 under unclear circumstances, reportedly suffering from mental health issues at the time. He is from the Ethiopian-Israeli community.
Eliya Cohen, 27: Abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.Omer Shem Tov, 22: Also taken from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. His release was met with emotional celebrations from friends and family.
Omer Wenkert, 23: Captured at the same Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
Hisham Al-Sayed, 36: An Arab Israeli from the Bedouin community, seized in 2015 after crossing into Gaza on his own, reportedly also dealing with mental health challenges. His release was conducted privately, separate from the public ceremonies.
Omer Shem Tov

These individuals represent a mix of those taken during the October 7, 2023, attack and two others (Mengistu and Al-Sayed) held for much longer periods.

Timeline of the Release Events

Morning Release in Rafah (Southern Gaza): Shortly before 10:00 AM local time (08:00 GMT, 1:30 PM IST), Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu were released in a staged event in Rafah. They were handed over to the Red Cross, accompanied by Israeli special forces back to Israeli territory for initial medical assessments.
Midday Release in Nuseirat (Central Gaza): Just after 12:30 PM local time (10:30 GMT, 4:00 PM IST), Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, and Omer Wenkert were released in a separate ceremony at the Nuseirat refugee camp. They were brought onto a stage flanked by masked Hamas gunmen before being transferred to the Red Cross.
Private Release of Hisham Al-Sayed: The sixth hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, was handed over to the Red Cross in a private process, with confirmation from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) that he had arrived back in Israel by around 3:16 PM IST (based on posts on X). His family requested privacy for his readjustment after nearly a decade in captivity.

By 06:47 PM IST, all six hostages had been freed and reunited with their families in Israel, with scenes of tears, hugs, and celebrations reported across the country.

Context and Background

This release follows a tense week involving the handover of deceased hostages’ remains. On February 20, 2025, Hamas returned four bodies, claiming they included Shiri Bibas and her children, Kfir and Ariel, along with Oded Lifshitz. However, forensic analysis revealed that one body was not Shiri Bibas’s, sparking outrage and accusations of Hamas violating the ceasefire terms. On February 21, the correct remains of Shiri Bibas were returned, easing some tensions ahead of today’s releases.

The ceasefire deal, initiated on January 19, 2025, has seen multiple exchanges, with today’s release completing the agreed-upon live hostage transfers for the first phase. The broader conflict stems from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Hamas-run health authorities.