Shock, relief and outrage mix after 3 Israeli hostages freed by Hamas emerge emaciated from captivity

Israel watched with mixed emotions as three more hostages were released from Hamas captivity on Saturday morning. Looking emaciated and weak, they were paraded on a stage and forced to give interviews before being handed over to the Red Cross.

Unlike the previous releases, Hamas decided to free all three hostages from one location, this time in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.

The IDF estimated that numerous hostages had been held there and, therefore, held off on large-scale maneuvers in the area during the war, which was highlighted by the several apparently undamaged buildings in the background of the square chosen by Hamas for the ceremony.

For over a year, the entire international community has danced to the tune of the false propaganda of so-called ‘starvation’ in Gaza.
But the images don’t lie:
Hamas terrorists and other Gaza residents look perfectly fine.
The Israeli hostages look like Holocaust survivors and… pic.twitter.com/5wbDcztmtg
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) February 8, 2025

The procedure was largely similar to previous releases. The Red Cross was informed of the place and the time of the ceremony and arrived with several cars before signing “release documents” on the stage.

Several Hamas convoys, including one carrying the hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, then arrived at the square.

For the first time, the hostages were taken on stage and forced to answer questions by a masked terrorist, whom Hamas claimed to be a high-ranking commander, before they were handed over to the Red Cross.

Israeli media chose not to carry the footage of the cynical “interview,” in which the hostages were coerced into thanking their captors for their treatment and urging Israelis to protest against the government.

Watching Hamas׳ grotesque parade of the hostages Ohad Ben Ami, Or Levi and Eli Sharabi.
As they force them speak to the crowd before their release.
What would you be willing to say as you see the @ICRC vehicles to secure your release?
Images of Eli Sharabi moments before the… pic.twitter.com/eRgPqQMJ2K
— Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) February 8, 2025

Levy, Sharabi and Ben Ami looked frail and weak, having visibly lost a significant amount of weight. They needed assistance to walk up and down the stage stairs.

After the handover to Red Cross staff, its vehicles took the former hostages to an IDF post in the Gaza Strip. From there, a convoy brought them to the initial reception point in Re’im, where they were reunited with some family members and underwent initial medical check-ups.

Unlike previous rounds of releases, Levy, Sharabi and Ben Ami spent several hours in Re’im, with Israeli media outlets speculating the cause to be their bad medical condition.

The returning hostages on their way to the hospital with their families finally by their sides. 💛 pic.twitter.com/9tOlGUYG24
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 8, 2025

According to Kan News, they had been constantly transferred between underground tunnels during captivity, hardly seeing the light of day. An Israeli source told Channel 12 News that Israel had no intelligence information about Hamas deliberately starving hostages to such a degree.

“There has been plenty of food in Gaza for many months, and this extreme thinness certainly surprised us,” the source added.

In first conversations, the hostages recounted being starved and tortured, both physically and psychologically, Kan News reported.

The hostages being paraded on stage in their horrible condition caused shock and outrage across Israel.

“We have again seen the monsters of Hamas. These are the same monsters who slaughtered our citizens and abused our hostages. I say to them again: They will pay the price,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated after declaring earlier that Israel would “not allow the situation to go unaddressed and take appropriate measures.”

Several Israeli leaders compared the condition of the hostages to that of Holocaust survivors.

“This is what a crime against humanity looks like,” wrote President Isaac Herzog. “The whole world must look directly at Ohad, Or, and Eli – returning after 491 days of hell, starved, emaciated and pained – being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle by vile murderers.”

In his statement, Herzog also noted the particularly horrifying fates of the hostages and their families.

“The tragedy of the Sharabi family is etched into the nation’s consciousness,” Herzog said. “Eli’s wife, Lianne, and their two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were murdered on October 7 in Be’eri. His brother, Yossi, was kidnapped and did not survive captivity.”

Eliyahu has reunited with his family.

In these moments, we remember his wife Lianne, and two daughters Yahel and Noiya who were murdered by Hamas on October 7. Along with his brother Yossi, who was kidnapped and murdered in captivity.

Our hearts are with Eliyahu and his family. pic.twitter.com/yiay3hKdOB
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 8, 2025

Only upon his release did Sharabi receive the tragic news that his family had been murdered, Israeli media reported.

“Or [Levy] and his wife Einav came to celebrate at the Nova festival. Hamas terrorists murdered Einav and abducted Or to Gaza. Their son, Almog – ‘Mogi’ – only three years old, was cared for by their loving families through this terrible ordeal, and finally has his daddy back,” Herzog continued.

Or Levy has finally reunited with his family after 491 days in Hamas captivity.
We remember Or’s wife, Eynav, who was murdered by Hamas on October 7. pic.twitter.com/lx4amNYAUV
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 8, 2025

Levy reportedly did not know whether his wife Einav had survived the carnage and also found out only when he returned to Israel on Saturday.

Ohad Ben Ami returned to his wife Raz, who had been kidnapped with him but was released during the first hostage deal in November 2023.

“Since her release from captivity, Raz, Ohad’s wife, along with their three brave daughters – Yulie, Ella, and Natalie – have led a determined struggle in Israel and around the world for his return,” the president said.

The Ben Ami family back together as one 💛 pic.twitter.com/EFjJvfHjq2
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 8, 2025

After the hostages were released, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced that a negotiating team would leave for Qatar tonight to discuss the progress toward the hostage deal’s second phase, adding that Netanyahu “will hold a political-security cabinet meeting over the negotiations on the second phase of the deal” once he returns from the United States.

“We will do everything to return all of our hostages. We will see to their safety. This is the directive that I gave to the delegation – say this to the mediators and demand it,” Netanyahu stated.

“But beyond this, President Trump agrees with me completely: We will do everything to return all of the hostages, but Hamas will not be there. We will eliminate Hamas, and we will return our hostages.”