Jerusalem, Feb 8 (EFE).— Three Israeli hostages released by Hamas in Gaza on Saturday have arrived in Israel and are set to undergo medical evaluation before reuniting with their families, the Israeli army said.
Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy will soon be transferred to a hospital for medical evaluation, the army said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned what he described as the “shocking” condition of the hostages.
He vowed that Israel would not overlook the sight of three frail and emaciated hostages being paraded onto a stage in Gaza and subjected to an apparent staged interview by Hamas militants before their release on Saturday.
“We will not gloss over the shocking scenes we witnessed today,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The hostages were handed over by Hamas militants to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
The ICRC then transported them to Israeli soldiers stationed in the Gaza Strip, who escorted them to a military base in southern Israel for initial medical checks and reunions with their families before hospitalization.
Appearing visibly frail and aged after more than a year in captivity, the three Israelis were seen on a stage before their release, responding to questions from their captors.
In their statements, they urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain the ceasefire and facilitate further hostage exchanges for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Since the ceasefire began, 16 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals have been freed in exchange for over 500 Palestinian prisoners.
As part of the latest exchange, Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners, including 111 Gazans detained in the war-torn enclave following the October 7, 2023, attacks. EFE
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