Three Israeli hostages released by Hamas today appear to be in a “disturbing” condition as photos and videos of their release shocking loved ones.
Ohad Ben Ami, 57, Eli Sharabi, 52, and Or Levy, 34, looked emaciated, weak and appeared to need support to walk from their captors.
The men were paraded to a stage and forced to wave and do interviews broadcast to a crowd before being handed over to the Red Cross. Ben Ami and Sharabi were dressed in brown clothes, similar to what Palestinian prisoners in Israel are given to wear, while Levy was dressed in IDF-style green.
Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi, were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Or Levy was abducted that day from the Nova music festival.
Ohad Ben Ami (57), Eli Sharabi (52) and Or Levy (34) were seen looking emaciated and weak
REUTERS
Levy’s wife was murdered in the attack and Sharabi’s wife and two daughters were found murdered at their home. It is unclear if they know what happened to their loved ones.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog said: “The whole world must look directly at Ohad, Or, and Eli—returning after 491 days of hell, starved, emaciated and pained—being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle by vile murderers.”
“This is what a crime against humanity looks like,” he added.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu promised Israel would respond to the “shocking images” of the freed civilians.
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The men were paraded to a stage and forced to wave and do interviews broadcast to a crowd before being handed over to the Red Cross
Reuters
Or Levy, a hostage held in Gaza since the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, is released by Hamas militants
Reuters
The Families Forum, a group representing Israeli hostages, said the images serve as “painful evidence” that there was “no time to waste” in bringing home the remaining captives.
The brother-in-law of Sharabi told the BBC how upsetting it was to learn what state the man was in.
“It’s the eyes that told the tale for me. Eli has a very smiley face, and it’s the light that’s gone from his eyes that struck home for me, and the look of confusion on his face was an upsetting watch,” he said.
Ben Ami’s mother-in-law said of his appearance: “He looked like a skeleton, it was awful to see.”
Although the state of the men shocked their loved ones, Levy’s brother Michael expressed relief at finally having his brother home.
REUTERS
“He looks terrible. He is 57, but he looks ten years older. It is so sad for me to see him like this.”
Although the state of the men shocked their loved ones, Levy’s brother Michael expressed relief at finally having his brother home.
“I can’t even start to describe the emotions, the excitement, how happy we are that it’s finally close to be over.”
“We are waiting to hug him, waiting to see Almog (Levy’s son), hugging his father again.”
In exchange for the release of the three men, Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners, some convicted of involvement in terror attacks that killed dozens of people, as well as 18 serving life sentences and 111 detained in Gaza during the war, says Hamas.
This is the latest hostage release since the start of the ceasefire, which has seen 13 Israeli and five Thai hostages released in exchange for 583 Palestinian prisoners.