The Palestine-based resistance group Hamas released three Israeli hostages and handed them over to the Red Cross on Saturday evening February 22.
Before handing them over to Red Cross officials, Hamas operatives brought the hostages named Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen to the town of Nuseirat, where they were present on stage and given certificates and gifts.
At the handover ceremony, one of the hostages Omer Shem Tov displayed a unique gesture by happily kissing the foreheads of two Hamas members while waving to the spectators. Immediately after the ceremony Red Cross personnel escorted the hostages away with their convoy.
According to The Times of Israel, the father of Omer Shem, Malki Shem Tov experienced deep happiness to find his son Omer alive following his announcement of release.
In an interview with Channel 12, Malki Shem Tov stated that “Omer is thinner… but is upbeat, upbeat, the most positive-minded in the world.”
“We did not know what Omer would look like after pro-longed captivity. But when he suddenly appeared with his big smile waving at everyone we were surprised to see the scene,” he added.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the released hostages have spent 505 days in Hamas captivity, and have now crossed the border into Israel.
The six hostages being freed Saturday are the last living ones to be released under the first phase. The new releases brought a moment of joy and relief for families, but with the ceasefire’s future uncertain, fears remain over the fate of the remaining hostages seized during the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.
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