Representatives of the terrorist group Hamas once again tried to extract maximum benefit from the exchange, presenting a beautiful picture. They again set up a stage where they handed over the hostages to the Red Cross with signed documents.
The three hostages, who were forced to speak from the stage, are severely emaciated and look very weak. «It is unbearable to see emaciated hostages being forced to give interviews to some Hamas «reporter». Returning them in this state is yet another horrific crime by the terrorists», commented the broadcast of the Hamas presentation by the German ambassador to Israel, Stefan Seibert.
Of the three hostages, two were kidnapped from the Be'eri kibbutz. Ohad Ben Ami worked as an accountant in the kibbutz's financial management. He was kidnapped on October 7 along with his wife Raz. When the terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz, the couple took shelter in the protected room of their house. For a moment, Ohad stepped out of the shelter to close the iron shutters and was shot, but managed to return inside. The traces of his blood on the floor helped investigators reconstruct the kidnapping scene. Throughout the war, no video evidence featuring Ohad was published. The last video of him is dated the morning of October 7: terrorists are leading a wounded man in pajamas towards a car. Ohad has three daughters: Ella, Julia, and Natalie. All of them are actively involved in the activities of the Forum of Families for the Return of Hostages.
In his free time, Ohad loved cycling and often went on long distances with three friends. When Ohad was kidnapped, his friends stopped their rides, waiting for his return to set out together again.
Eli Sharabi grew up in Tel Aviv with his younger brother Yossi, then Eli moved to the Be'eri kibbutz, followed by his brother.
The October 7 attack brought a monstrous catastrophe to the Sharabi family: Eli's wife Lian and two daughters, 13-year-old Yael and 16-year-old Noya, were killed by terrorists. 51-year-old Yossi Sharabi was also kidnapped, and in the summer of 2024, the Israel Defense Forces informed the family of his death in Gaza. His body has not yet been returned.
Their 75-year-old mother did not know about the kidnapping of her sons for a long time—the relatives hid the truth from her. However, at some point, they had to tell her. Eli's mother and sister are waiting for his return at the base in Reim.
Or Levi and his wife Einav arrived on October 7 at the Nova festival in Reim 9 minutes before the war began—at 6:21. When the rocket attacks started, the couple ran to the shelter. Or managed to call his mother, this was the last time the family heard his voice. Ten minutes after the conversation, Hamas militants threw grenades into the shelter and shot everyone inside. Einav was killed on the spot, Or was kidnapped.
Or Levi is a software developer and the father of three-year-old Almog, who now lives with his grandparents. Speaking at the UN, Or's brother Michael said: «Almog keeps asking about mom and dad. And even when we try to explain, he doesn't understand why he can't see his dad and what the phrase «mom will never come back» means.
Israel will release 183 Palestinians in exchange for the release of three hostages, including 18 people serving life sentences, 54 people serving long sentences, and 111 people who were detained in the Gaza Strip during the war.
Photo: Reuters