Six hostages were released from Hamas captivity Saturday, as Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen returned to Israel after 505 days, and Avera Mengistu and Hisham Al-Sayed returned after being held by Hamas since 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Mengistu and Shoham were released in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, while Shem Tov, Wenkert, and Cohen were released from the Nuseirat refugee camp shortly after. Al-Sayed was then released from captivity in Gaza City.
This marks the first time in the deal that hostages were released in Nuseirat and in Rafah. Saturday's transfer was the seventh wave of releases in the hostage deal.
Like in previous hostage releases, the Hamas terrorist organization set up a propaganda ceremony by setting up a stage in Rafah decorated with provoking images and captions. Saturday morning's caption read, "The land distinguishes its people from the dual nationality figures.”
Hamas terrorists were filmed standing in a line in the pouring rain, armed with long rifles, according to Ynet.
Hamas's hostage release ceremonies
Shoham was forced to make a speech on Hamas's makeshift stage before he and Mengistu were handed to the Red Cross. Shoham appeared pale and underweight, while Mengistu appeared relatively stable and retained a similar body weight to when he was kidnapped.
Red Cross vehicles arrived in Rafah on Saturday morning to collect Mengitsu and Shoham, after which they were transferred to Israeli forces and then to the Re'im base in Israel, where they reunited with their families.
Shoham was then taken to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva for treatment, while Mengistu was treated at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
After the announcement that both safely crossed into Israeli territory, the Shoham family said, "The Shoham, Korngold, and Haran families are moved to welcome Tal back to us. This is an unforgettable moment where all emotions are rapidly mixing together. Our Tal is with us."
"We thank all the people of Israel who stood with us through all the long days of pain and suffering. During these days, we need privacy for Tal, Adi, and the children. At this crucial moment in our lives, our only request is to seize this window of opportunity to secure a deal that will bring fathers back to their children - children need their fathers - and return all hostages home: the living for rehabilitation and the deceased for eternal rest. There is a window of opportunity; we must not miss it."
The Mengistu family added, "Our family has endured ten years and five months of unimaginable suffering. During this time, there have been continuous efforts to secure his return, with prayers and pleas, some silent, that remained unanswered until today. In these moments, we gather in anxious anticipation of the return of our beloved son, brother, and uncle Avera. We ask that these moments be respected and that we be granted the peace and rest we so desperately need."
The release ceremony in Nuseirat for Shem Tov, Wenkert, and Cohen happened not long after the one in Rafah. Wenkert notably lost a lot of weight. Shem Tov kissed one of the Hamas terrorists on the head while he was on stage. The three arrived at the reception point at Re'im base accompanied by IDF personnel.
Hamas also added a third location, Gaza City, where they released Hisham al-Sayed. Hamas did not plan any ceremonial event for al-Sayed "out of respect for his family and respect for Muslim Israelis," according to Gazan reports. Al-Sayed, like Mengitsu, has been held captive far prior to October 7, 2023, as the Bedouin-Israeli hostage was held in the Palestinian exclave for nearly a decade.
In parallel with the release of the six hostages from Gaza, a Red Cross convoy arrived at the Kerem Shalom crossing to receive Palestinian security prisoners who were released in exchange from prisons in Israel, Walla reported.
KAN reported that about 602 prisoners were to be released on Saturday, 445 of whom were arrested in Gaza during the war.
Several senior Hamas leaders from the West Bank and several prisoners who were rearrested after being released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit deal were among the hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners set to be released on Saturday. They were all given shirts that said, "I will pursue my enemies and catch them," according to KAN.
Among those who were set to be released on Saturday were 41 prisoners rearrested after being freed in the Gilad Shalit deal, 50 who were supposed to be serving life sentences, and 60 who were sentenced to long prison terms, according to Army Radio.
Hamas said on Saturday it was ready to move to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal and to carry out a comprehensive hostage-prisoner exchange to achieve a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Ethan Freedman and Reuters contributed to this report.