Israel on Friday approved the hostage list provided by Hamas for the deal’s fifth handover expected on Saturday. The three hostages set to be released after 491 days in captivity are Or Levy, 34, Eliyahu (Eli) Sharabi, 53, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56.
Eli Sharabi, 51, was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri along with his brother Yossi, who was executed in captivity. His body remains in Gaza. Eli’s wife, Lian, and their daughters, Noya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were murdered in the October 7 Hamas attack.
Or Levy, 33, from Givatayim, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he had gone with his wife, Einav, who was murdered in the attack. The two met in high school and remained close for years before falling in love, marrying and having their son, Almog.
Friends and family said they both loved traveling and festivals. They arrived at the party just minutes before the rocket attack began, having left Almog, then two, with his grandparents. When the attack started, they hid in a shelter but were found by terrorists.
Ohad Ben Ami, 55, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri along with his wife, Raz, who was released in the November 2023 hostage deal. The couple has three daughters — Yuli, Ella and Natali. A year after his abduction, footage was released showing Ohad being taken by Hamas terrorists in just a t-shirt and boxers.
The terror group earlier announced it had delivered the list of hostages set to be released Saturday in the fifth hostage handover of the hostage deal's first phase to mediators. Israeli officials awaited the list of names, with an Israeli source saying that Israel "will view harshly," any violation of the agreement which included the delivery of hostages' names – though no specific actions were outlined in response.
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Gazans swarming Red Cross vehicle with Israeli hostages
(Photo: AP Photo/Abed Hajjar gettyimages ראובן קסטרו)
Even before the names were published, Israel pressed the mediators to prioritize – alongside the release of three male hostages – the return of Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel and Kfir, whom Hamas claims are deceased without providing clear evidence. The father, Yarden Bibas, returned to Israel in the previous handout alongside Ofer Caldron and Keith Siegal.
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Under the agreement, Hamas must deliver the names one day prior to the release, with no specific time stipulated. The understanding between the sides detailed that the list should arrive by midnight and Israel was confident it would.
As in previous instances, Hamas claimed that Israel is not upholding its commitments regarding humanitarian aid and the entry of aid trucks into Gaza. Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanou issued a statement alleging that "Israel continues to delay implementing the humanitarian protocol, particularly concerning shelter, tents, equipment for debris removal, fuel, and rehabilitation needs."