Hamas, Israel exchange captives as first phase of fragile truce ends

Hamas freed all six Israeli captives in the latest exchange Saturday, even as heightened tension between the adversaries clouded the future of the fragile ceasefire deal.

The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another abducted while visiting his family in southern Israel when militants stormed across the border on Oct. 7, 2023 – attacks that triggered Israel’s nearly 16-month campaign in the Gaza Strip that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled a plausible genocide.

Two of the hostages had been held by Hamas for around a decade since they each entered Gaza on their own.

In the central town of Nuseirat, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen were posed alongside Hamas fighters on the stage. A beaming Shem Tov even kissed two militants next to him on the head and blew kisses to the crowd.

Watching the release, Cohen’s family and friends in Israel chanted “Eliya! Eliya! Eliya!” and cheered when they saw him for the first time. Shem Tov’s grandmother ululated in joy, shrieking, “Omer, my joy! My life!” as she saw him.

The Israeli military said the final hostage, Hisham Al-Sayed, 36, was released later Saturday. The Bedouin Israeli crossed on his own into Gaza in 2015 and had been held since. His family has told Israeli media Al-Sayed was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia.

In exchange, Israel will release about 600 Palestianians from its jails.