Six hostages released, then Israel stalls swap

JERUSALEM — Hamas released six Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip on Saturday, delivering the last living captives set to be freed in the first phase of a fragile truce that was jolted this past week when the militant group returned remains that did not belong to an Israeli woman as planned.

But early Sunday, Israel announced that it would further delay the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners whom it had pledged to free Saturday, demanding that Hamas first release more captives from Gaza and commit to releasing them without “humiliation ceremonies.” Hamas has been releasing hostages in performative ceremonies aimed at showing that it is still in control of Gaza, which many Israeli officials have condemned.

The announcement, delivered in a statement from the prime minister’s office hours after the prisoner release had already been delayed without explanation, added tension to the shaky ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that is set to expire next week.

Hamas had previously transferred a set of remains to Israel late Friday, less than 24 hours after Israel determined a body the militant group had handed over Thursday did not belong to the planned woman. That woman, Shiri Bibas, was a mother abducted with her two young children during the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, that began the war.

Early Saturday, Israeli officials confirmed that the second remains were those of Bibas, whose kidnapping and death with her children have become a symbol of Israeli grief.

The delivery of the wrong remains set off an uproar in Israel, where authorities, rebutting Hamas’ assertions that the children were killed in Israeli airstrikes, said their captors had killed them “with their bare hands.” Neither claim could be independently verified. The wrongly delivered body also raised doubts about the next steps of the ceasefire agreement, including whether Saturday’s exchange would proceed as planned.

In return for the release of the six living hostages and the bodies of four dead captives, Israel was expected on Saturday to release 620 Palestinian prisoners, the largest group of detainees to be released since the ceasefire in Gaza began last month. That did not occur.

The hostage transfer from Hamas had initially seemed set to keep the deal between the two sides on track after a turbulent week. Among Israelis, emotions have swung between joy and grief as the families of the hostages being released offered their condolences to the Bibas family and other relatives whose loved ones were killed.

Palestinian families waiting for their relatives to be freed also expressed a welter of conflicting emotions. “These final hours are the hardest,” said Adeeb Saifi, the father of a Palestinian prisoner who was set to be released. “They bring together all contradictions — hardship and relief, hope and pain, love and hatred.”

But the long-term future of the agreement remains unclear. The six-week truce, which began in late January, is set to expire in early March unless Israel and Hamas agree to an extension. The two sides have yet to reach an agreement on the next stage of the ceasefire, raising fears that the fighting could soon begin anew.

Hamas returned the six hostages Saturday in two highly orchestrated public ceremonies and a third transfer that was not televised. The first two people to be freed, Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham, were turned over to Red Cross officials in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Israeli military said the two men had crossed into Israel and would receive medical assessments.

Mengistu, 38, had been the longest-held living Israeli hostage in Gaza. An Israeli of Ethiopian descent, he crossed into Gaza in 2014 and was taken hostage by Hamas, which accused him of being a soldier though he had never served in the military.

Shoham, along with several family members, including his wife and two children, was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri, where more people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack than in any other Israeli community. His wife, son and daughter were freed during a ceasefire in November 2023, and in a statement after his release, his family said that “all emotions are rapidly mixing together.”

Three other hostages were handed over in Nuseirat, in central Gaza, and delivered to the Israeli military: Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert and Eliya Cohen. All were kidnapped while trying to flee a music festival near the border with Gaza and are said to suffer from illnesses that allowed them to be prioritized for release.

During the handover ceremony, the hostages appeared thin and pale. They were dressed in khaki uniforms, though none were in military service when they were taken hostage.

The sixth hostage, Hisham al-Sayed, 37, was turned over in Gaza City in a more private transfer. An Israeli citizen from a Bedouin town in the southern Negev desert, al-Sayed crossed into Gaza of his own accord in April 2015 and was taken hostage by Hamas.

Al Jazeera, the Qatari-funded TV channel, broadcast video of a man who appeared to be al-Sayed walking toward a Red Cross vehicle, and the Israeli military later released footage of him being transferred into the hands of Israeli forces in Gaza.

His family said in a statement they were “moved by Hisham’s return home,” adding, “the long-awaited moment has arrived.”

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas committed to freeing at least 25 living Israeli hostages and the remains of eight more in exchange for more than 1,500 Palestinians jailed by Israel.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza had eagerly awaited the return of their loved ones. Of those who were set to be freed on Saturday, 445 men, 23 minors and one woman were all arrested after the Hamas-led October 2023 attack on southern Israel, according to lists distributed by Palestinian officials. In addition, 151 Palestinians who have been imprisoned for years, including some convicted of participating in deadly attacks against Israelis, were scheduled to be released.

Whether the ceasefire extends into a second phase is still uncertain: The two sides were set to start talks over details on the next stage more than two weeks ago, but it is not clear if serious negotiations have started.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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