Hamas announced Friday the names of the three hostages who will be released Saturday in the fifth phase of the first stage of the deal: Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami.
According to the list provided by Hamas, around 180 prisoners will be released on Saturday, similar to last week, including 18 serving life sentences and 111 Gazan detainees who were arrested during IDF operations in Gaza.
Eli Sharabi
Eli Sharabi, who will turn 53 next week, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri. During the massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, Eli lost his entire immediate family — his wife, Lian, and his two daughters, Yahel and Noya, were murdered by Hamas terrorists. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, was also kidnapped on Oct. 7 and was later declared dead while in captivity after the IDF attacked near the building where he was held. His body is still being held in Gaza.
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Eli’s other brother, Sharon Sharabi, told Kan News: “Eli is returning to a harsh reality. It’s like a horror movie. Maybe he heard what happened to his family and had time to process it. And if he hasn’t heard, then it’s best that he learns about it while in professional and supportive hands.”
Eli grew up in Tel Aviv with five siblings. At a young age, he fell in love with Kibbutz Be’eri, where he built his home and later brought his brother Yossi to live with him. His family has received no information about his condition since he was kidnapped.
“I am sure that Eli will receive a hug from the entire nation that has done everything to bring him back. We hope we can help heal his soul and show him that new life can be built.”
Ohad Ben Ami
Ohad Ben Ami, 56, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri. He was shot and lightly wounded while closing the shutters of his house as Hamas terrorists approached. His wife, Raz, hid in the safe room and witnessed his abduction. She was later taken to Gaza as well but was released in the first hostage deal in November 2023.
A video published by Hamas on Telegram showed Ohad being taken into captivity, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt and boxer shorts.
Ohad is an accountant and is known as the chef among his family and friends. He and his wife, Raz, have three daughters — Yuli, Ella and Natali — who have been fighting for his return.
“When you return, you won’t believe what fierce lionesses they’ve become. They fight for you every single day,” Raz said.
Or Levy
Or Levy was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7. He had arrived at the party with his wife, Einav, shortly before the attack began. They hid together in what became known as the “Death Shelter.” Einav was murdered and Or was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists.
Footage of the kidnapping shows Or being taken along with Elia Cohen and Hirsch Goldberg-Polin in a vehicle on the way to Gaza.
Or and Einav lived in Givatayim, and Or worked as a programmer. Their son, Almog, was just 2 years old when his father was kidnapped and his mother was murdered. Or’s family shows Almog pictures of his father and tells him, “Daddy got lost and wants to come back as soon as possible.”
Family Reactions
Natali, Ohad Ben Ami’s daughter, shared her first reaction: “Finally, my heart will be whole.”
Kibbutz Be’eri released a statement: “With the return of Ohad and Eli, we can finally take a deep breath, but we will not truly breathe freely until all the hostages are back home and all the murdered are brought to burial.”
Michael, Or Levy’s brother, told journalist Maya Rachlin: “His son Almog is jumping on the bed with joy — I haven’t seen him this happy in so long.”
He also posted on Facebook: “Mogi, we found Dad.”
In Israel, there is growing concern that the recent series of statements by U.S. President Donald Trump could pose an obstacle to negotiations for the second phase of the hostage deal and the continuation of talks.
Over the past 24 hours, following Trump’s speech outlining his plan for Gaza, Hamas officials have begun signaling and threatening that further development of the idea could “create difficulties” for the next stages of the hostage deal, specifically referring to the second phase.
This article was originally published by All Israel News.
ALL ISRAEL NEWS is based in Jerusalem and is a trusted source of news, analysis and information from Israel to our Christian friends around the world.
