Hamas released six more hostages held in Gaza in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisoners, who will be released later on Saturday.
The hostages issued included four abducted during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 – Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Elijah Cohen and Omer Venkert.
The other two men were released, Aver Mengista and Hisham Al Saed, have been held in Gaza for years-G-N Menngista since 2014 and Mr. Al-Said since 2015.
The six are the last hostages who are still alive to be returned as part of the first phase of the fire termination transaction, which will end next Saturday. Israel and Hamas still disagree with the conditions of the second phase.
Later on Saturday, 602 Palestinian prisoners will be released, the larger part of whom were detained after the attack on October 7, 2023.
The BBC understands that those who are released will include 50 prisoners serving life sentences and 60 high sentences, according to a statement from the Palestinian prisoners media office.
The bodies of four more hostages are expected to be transferred to Israel next week in what should be the last step in the first phase of fire cessation.
There are 59 hostages still held by Hamas, about half of which are thought to be alive. It is assumed that they will be more released in the next phase of the three -stage cessation between Israel and Hamas, which should start on March 1st.
Hamas began to launch hostages, facilitated by the Red Cross, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in January. The initial chaotic scenes became more choreographed, with the facilities being surrounded by fighters in stages before the broadcast.
D -N -Shoham, 40 -year -olds, and d -Mengist, 39 -year -old, were handed over to the Red Cross in Rafa, South Gaza, before being transferred to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
G -N -Shoham visited a family in Kibbutz Beaeri in October 2023, when he and others, including his wife and two children, were abducted by Hamas. His family members were released after 50 days.
In a statement, his family says, “This is an unforgettable moment where all emotions are quickly mixed. Our tal is with us.”
Mr. Mengist, who is Ethiopian-Israeli, has been held by Hamas since September 2014, when he passed to North Gaza.
He and Mr Al-Sayyed, Arab Israeli Bedouins who entered Gaza in 2015, and both suffered from problems with mental health in the past, according to their families.
After his release, the family of G -N Menngista said they had withstood “10 years and five months of unimaginable suffering”.
Separately in Nuseirat in Central Gaza, G -N -Shem Tov, 22, Cohen, 27 and G -H Venkert, 23 -year -old, were released into another public show by Hamas.
All three were captured at the Music Festival in Nova on October 7, 2023.
Schem Tov had initially escaped by car when Hamas fighters went down to the festival, but was captured when he returned to save his friends.
Cohen had hid with his girlfriend Ziv Abud at the festival shelter, but he was discovered and expelled. The shelter was bombed, but D -Ja Abud survived and escaped.
Mr. Venkert managed to send text messages to his family when the festivals were attacked to tell them that he was going to a safe shelter, but they lost contact with him.
Mr. Al-Sajed was released privately in Gaza later on Saturday.
The crowds of Tel Aviv's hostage square congratulated public publications with cheers as they watched them unfold on a live issue.
The families celebrating the return of the six men have called on all other hostages to be released.
“Our only request is to take advantage of this window to secure a deal that will … return all hostages home,” said the family of G -N -Shoham.
The other hostages include Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier captured on October 7th.
His mother, Yael Alexander, who was watching a hostage message on Saturday, told the BBC that it was “incredible” to see them released, but it is “very difficult” for her family.
“There are more than dozens of live young men, like my son, who is still waiting to be released,” she said. “This is the main goal of freeing up living people now from Gaza.”
Saturday joyful scenes contrasted this week when the bodies of hostage Shire Bibs, her two young sons and another captive Odid Lifshitz were returned to Israel.