3 Israeli hostages freed for Palestinian detainees and prisoners

TEL AVIV, Israel – Hamas released three more Israeli hostages Saturday, as a fragile ceasefire deal between the Palestinian militant group and Israel continued to hold into a fourth week.

Eliyahu Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56 – three male civilians – were handed over by Hamas militants to the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Deir al Balah surrounded by crowds of onlookers. Unlike previous handovers, the hostages, flanked by heavily armed gunmen, made statements before the crowd. The three men appeared gaunt and pale after 16 months in captivity.

Israel is set to release more than 180 Palestinian prisoners and detainees — including 111 from Gaza — in return, including some that are serving life sentences.

This weekend’s hostage-for-prisoner exchange is the first since President Trump floated a plan to have the U.S. take over Gaza and relocate the nearly two million Palestinians elsewhere. The proposal invited the ire of Hamas’ leadership in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, as well as rejection from regional leaders and many U.S allies.

Trump made the proposal Tuesday as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington D.C. Speaking to reporters at the White House Friday, Trump said he viewed the proposal as “a real estate transaction, where we’ll be an investor in that part of the world.” He added that he was in “no rush to do anything.”

Also Friday, Hamas accused Israel of reneging on the terms of the agreement, amid signs that the ceasefire agreement was fraying, alleging that Israel had not allowed certain humanitarian aid — like shelters, debris removal equipment, and fuel — into Gaza that it says are needed for reconstruction efforts.

Israel’s military released a statement saying that it had deployed troops at several points in the Gaza Strip and were “ready in defense.”

The three civilian men were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023 in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people and during which around 250 people were taken hostage.

There are still 76 hostages — both civilians and soldiers — being held in Gaza, many of whom are believed to be dead, according to Israel.

As part of the agreement, Israel is set to withdraw fully on Sunday from a strategic corridor that it created during the war to divide Gaza. Talks for the next phase of the ceasefire deal, which would see more hostages released for prisoners and a further withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, are expected to begin this weekend.

Yanal Jabarin in Tel Aviv, Nuha Musleh in Ramallah and Ahmed Abuhamda in Cairo contributed to this report.