Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages on Saturday (February 8), whose gaunt appearance shocked Israelis, while Israel began freeing dozens of Palestinians in the latest stage of a ceasefire aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza. - REUTERS
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00:00Palestinian militant group Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday, as Israel
00:07freed dozens of Palestinian prisoners. It's the latest in a ceasefire deal aimed at ending
00:13the 15-month war in Gaza.
00:15Ohad Ben-Ami and Elie Sharabi were both taken hostage from Kibbutz Berri during the cross-border
00:22Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Or Levy was abducted that same day from the Novo Music
00:30Festival.
00:32The three men all appeared thin, weak and pale, and in worse condition than the previously
00:37freed hostages. Family and friends cheered and cried as they watched their release live
00:44on television.
00:46Their relatives spoke of their pain of seeing them in that condition.
00:49He doesn't look like himself. He looks like he suffered a lot for such a long time not
00:55being at home. And it was very difficult for me to see him like that, very, very hard.
01:02Dozens of Hamas militants were deployed in central Gaza as it handed hostages over to
01:06the International Committee of the Red Cross. The hostages were then driven in ICRC cars
01:13to Israeli forces and into Israel, where they were reunited with family members.
01:19Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the sight of the frail hostages was shocking
01:25and would be addressed.
01:28In exchange for the hostages' release, Israel said it was freeing 183 Palestinian prisoners
01:34as well as 111 detained in Gaza during the war.
01:39Cheering crowds greeted the buses as they arrived in Gaza. Six people released in the
01:44West Bank were in poor health and taken to hospitals, according to Palestinian medics.
01:50The first phase of the ceasefire has largely held since it took effect on January 19. However,
01:56fears have grown that the deal might collapse before all 76 remaining hostages held by Hamas
02:03are freed.
02:05Concerns intensified after US President Donald Trump's surprise call to develop Gaza into
02:11quote the Riviera of the Middle East. Arab states and Palestinian groups have rejected
02:17Trump's proposal, while Netanyahu welcomed his intervention.
02:22Negotiations on the second phase began this week aimed at returning the remaining hostages
02:28and agreeing a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, in preparation for a final
02:34end to the war.