Hamas has released six hostages in accordance with the first stage of the ceasefire agreement with Israel. However, around 60 hostages are still believed to be in the hands of the group, half of whom are thought to be alive. Hamas stated that it will not release the rest of the captives without a sustained ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Tensions between both parties continue to rise, jeopardizing the fragile agreement.
Among the six released hostages were three Israelis kidnapped at the Nova music festival and another captured during an attack in southern Israel in October 2023. Two of the hostages had been held by Hamas for approximately ten years. Five of the captives were handed over in ceremonies criticized by the Red Cross and Israel, where armed Hamas fighters brought them out in front of hundreds of Palestinians before being transferred to Red Cross vehicles. The last hostage was released without a public ceremony.
On the other hand, three more hostages were subsequently delivered, including Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, and Omer Wenkert. The family of Al-Sayed, one of those released, celebrated his return after a decade of uncertainty by singing a Hebrew song. However, the release process has also been marked by controversies, such as the mistaken delivery of a corpse by Hamas, raising doubts about the continuity of the ceasefire agreement.
Negotiations for the next phase of the agreement, which would include more releases and the delivery of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, are anticipated to be difficult. Despite these tensions, the release of the hostages is expected to provide some relief for the affected families, although the future of the ceasefire agreement remains uncertain.
