Hamas militants released three Israeli hostages on 8 February 2025 in what marked the fifth prisoner swop under a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. In exchange, 183 prisoners held by Israel are set to be freed later the same day.
The ongoing negotiations form part of an international effort, led by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, to de-escalate violence and secure the release of hostages.
The ceasefire aims to free 33 hostages during its initial 42-day phase. To date, 18 hostages have been freed in previous exchanges, with around 600 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.
Talks regarding the second phase of the ceasefire, intended to secure further hostage releases and work toward a permanent resolution, are scheduled to begin on 10 February.
The latest swop sparked emotional reactions across Israel. In Tel Aviv, jubilant crowds gathered to watch live footage of the hostages’ release, though their celebrations quickly turned to shock upon seeing the visibly weakened captives.
The men, identified as Mr Ohad Ben Ami, Mr Eli Sharabi, and Mr Or Levy, appeared emaciated during the highly choreographed handover in Deir el-Balah.
“They looked like skeletons. It was awful to see,” Ms Michal Cohen, mother-in-law of Mr Ben Ami, told Channel 13 News. During the handover, Hamas forced the hostages to give short speeches in Hebrew under duress, thanking the group for “protecting them.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the treatment of the hostages, stating, “The shocking images that we have seen today will not go unaddressed.” President Isaac Herzog also denounced the ordeal as a “crime against humanity,” urging the international community to take note of the suffering inflicted on the hostages.
Mr Sharabi’s release comes after tragedy struck his family during the conflict. He was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Beeri, where militants killed his wife and two daughters. Similarly, Mr Levy was taken from the Nova music festival, where gunmen murdered his wife.
Mr Ben Ami, who has dual Israeli-German citizenship, turned 56 while in captivity.
Calls for continued diplomatic engagement were echoed by the Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which urged the government to maintain the ceasefire despite rising tensions triggered by recent comments from former US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s controversial proposal to depopulate the Gaza Strip and place it under US control has drawn widespread criticism from the Middle East and beyond.
Former hostage Yarden Bibas, who was freed last week, delivered an emotional appeal to Netanyahu on 7 February. “Bring my family back, bring my friends back, bring everyone home,” he pleaded, referring to his wife and two young sons.
Hamas previously claimed that his family members were killed, though Israeli authorities have not verified the claim.
Netanyahu, currently in Washington, is expected to oversee the next phase of negotiations remotely, with an Israeli delegation travelling to Doha for talks. The negotiations aim to secure the release of more hostages while laying the groundwork for a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The conflict began following Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack, during which 251 hostages were taken.
As of now, 73 individuals remain in captivity, including 34 who the Israeli military believes are dead. The humanitarian toll of the war has been devastating. On 3 February, authorities in Gaza updated the conflict’s death toll to 61,709, following the addition of thousands previously listed as missing and presumed dead.
According to the Gaza Government Information Office, 76 percent of the bodies have been recovered, though more than 14,000 people are still believed to be trapped under rubble or in inaccessible areas. The United Nations has deemed these figures reliable, further underscoring the catastrophic scale of the conflict.
