Three hostages back in Israel after 491 days
Israeli hostages Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi and Or Levi were returned to Israel on Saturday after 491 days in captivity, the Israel Defence Forces said.
“The three Israeli hostages on Hamas’ stage in Gaza”, Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL
Ben Ami, 56, was abducted along with his wife Raz from their home in kibbutz Be’eri. Raz was released from Gaza in a deal on November 30, 2024. The couple hid in their safe room for an extended period. Initially, the terrorists thought the house was empty and left – but later returned. In released images, Ohad is seen barefoot in blue underwear, a black shirt and sunglasses, being led by terrorists into Gaza. Ohad is Be’eri’s accountant. He and Raz have three daughters. During the struggle, their daughters created a display in the Hostages Square where they sit wearing boxers while chained.
Sharabi, 53, was abducted from kibbutz Be’eri. On October 7th, Sharabi lost his daughters Noya (16) and Yahel (13) and his wife Lian (48), who were murdered in their home in Be’eri in the terrible massacre. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, was murdered in captivity, and his body is still being held in Gaza. Sharabi came to Be’eri at age 14 as an outside child. He grew up and was educated in the kibbutz, worked in printing in marketing roles, served as the kibbutz treasurer and farm coordinator, and was a member of the economic committee. At age 28, he married Lian, who came from England as a volunteer to work in the kibbutz.
Levi. 32, from Givatayim and his wife Einav Elkayam were at the ‘Nova’ party in Re’im. They left when the sirens started at 6:30. They managed to reach the Re’im Kibbutz junction and stopped at the “Bird Shelter” – later known as the “Death Shelter.” Around 7:50, terrorists arrived at the shelter and threw and fired more than 8 fragmentation and stun grenades into it, some of which exploded inside while others were thrown out by the people hiding there. At some point, the terrorists entered the shelter and kidnapped people, one of them was Levi. In footage from Hamas terrorists’ cameras released in June, Levi is seen with hostages Eliya Cohen and Hersh Goldberg-Polin being led away wounded to the cheers of Hamas terrorists in a pickup truck on their way to captivity in Gaza. Einav, Levi’s wife, was murdered in the shelter. Their three-year-old son Almog is meanwhile being raised by grandparents from both sides.
“Eli and Ohad are returning to us! Excitement, joy – and also pain, a mixture of emotions like we’ve never known before,” said the Kibbutz Be’eri spokesperson. “We never stopped praying, protesting, and waiting for this moment – the moment when we can finally see Eli and Ohad safe, and tell them: how good it is that you’ve come home! Alongside the joy of seeing them return to us, there is tremendous pain and tormenting thoughts about those who are still held hostage and the many from whom we will never receive a hug.”
Meanwhile, the Israel Prison Service was preparing to release 183 Palestinian terrorists, including several serving life sentences for murder. They have been brought to the main reception centers in the ‘Ofer’ and ‘Ktziot’ prisons, where Red Cross representatives will identify each one.
Once the hostages are freed, the Red Cross will take the prisoners to release points in Judea and Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem. Others being deported to the Gaza Strip or to third countries via Gaza will be taken to the Kerem Shalom border crossing.
The ongoing first phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages freed over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The exact number will depend on how many are alive.
The fate of the remaining 65 hostages will be determined by negotiations during the ceasefire’s second phase. Critics say the phased approach condemns hostages not freed in the beginning to open-ended captivity and undermines Israel’s war gains.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7.
