The exchange comes as part of an ongoing deal, with additional captives released earlier in the day and another expected to be transferred soon.
Omer Shem Tov, 22, was seen placing a kiss on the head of a masked Hamas fighter during a handover ceremony in Nuseirat, Gaza. He stood alongside fellow captives Eliya Cohen, 27, and Omer Wenkert, 23, as they were released. The three appeared smiling, laughing, and waving at the gathered crowd.
Earlier in the day, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 39, were also transferred to the Red Cross before being handed over to Israeli authorities. A sixth captive, Hisham al-Sayed, is expected to be released without a public ceremony out of respect for his family, according to Hamas.
The Israeli military confirmed that Cohen, Wenkert, and Shem Tov had been transferred by the Red Cross and were en route to Israel for medical evaluation. Officials said preparations were in place for the transfer of the final captive.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou stated that Israel’s adherence to the terms of the agreement and the humanitarian protocol would ensure the continuation of future exchanges. “Thirty-three days have passed since the first phase started without the occupation completing the full implementation of the terms of the agreement,” he said on Telegram. He called on mediators to pressure Israel to uphold the humanitarian aspects of the deal, citing worsening conditions in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Nael Barghouti, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, is being released after more than four decades in Israeli custody. Initially freed in a 2011 swap, he was rearrested in 2014. His release is seen as significant within Palestinian society.
Mohammed Dahleh, a human rights lawyer, said Barghouti’s release resonates beyond his personal story. “The Palestinians see the prisoners as their heroes and the ones who have been leading the national struggle for decades,” he told Al Jazeera from East Jerusalem al-Quds.
He noted that past negotiations led by the Palestinian Liberation Organization had not secured the release of prisoners Israel deemed responsible for attacks. “There is no Palestinian family which does not have a prisoner in Israeli detention, has not had a member imprisoned in the past, or will not be faced with this situation in the future,” Dahleh added.