Three Israeli hostages freed as Palestinian prisoners return to Gaza

Israel and Hamas completed their fifth hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday as the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal continued.

The frail appearance of the three freed Israelis sparked dismay and anger among their relatives and Prime Minister, while the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group accused Israel of "brutality" and mistreatment in jail with seven of the 183 inmates released needing hospitalization.

The fifth exchange since the truce took effect last month comes as negotiations are set to begin on the next phase of the ceasefire, which should pave the way for a permanent end to the war.

Saturday's swap also follows remarks by President Donald Trump suggesting the United States should take over the Gaza Strip and clear out its inhabitants, sparking global outrage.

There were more emotional scenes in Israel with the release of Or Levy, Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi; all seized by militants during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.

With their return, 73 out of 251 hostages taken during the attack now remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

Jubilant crowds in Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv cheered as they watched live footage of the three hostages, flanked by masked gunmen, brought on stage in Deir el-Balah before being handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Later on Saturday, the ICRC, which is facilitating all the hostage-prisoner exchanges, demanded future swaps to be held in "private".

Their statement read: "The ICRC is increasingly concerned about the conditions surrounding release operations. We strongly urge all parties, including the mediators, to take responsibility to ensure that future releases are dignified and private."

The "disturbing images" from Gaza show that "we must get them all out", said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the images out of Gaza were "shocking."

Sharabi, 52, and Ben Ami, a 56-year-old dual German citizen, were both abducted from their homes in a kibbutz in Beeri when militants stormed the small community near the Gaza border.

Sharabi lost his wife and two daughters in the attack. Levy was abducted from the Nova music festival, where gunmen murdered his wife.

Israel's Health Ministry said the three hostages were suffering from "severe malnutrition and lost significant body weight" during their 491 days in captivity.

In the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian Authority, relatives and supporters welcomed inmates released by Israel, embracing them and cheering as their bus arrived from nearby Ofer prison.

Gaza militants have so far freed 21 hostages in exchange for hundreds of mostly Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.

Five Thai hostages freed last week from Gaza were discharged on Saturday from a hospital in central Israel, where they had been treated since their release, and were headed back to their home country.

Talks in Doha

The ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the U.S., aims to secure the release of 12 more hostages during its first 42-day phase.

Negotiations on the second stage of the ceasefire were set to begin on Monday, but there have been no details on the status of the talks.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum urged the Israeli government on Friday to stick with the truce, even as Trump's comments raised questions about the future of the deal.

"An entire nation demands to see the hostages return home," the Israeli campaign group said. "Now is the time to ensure the agreement is completed - until the very last one."

Netanyahu's office said after Saturday's swap, an Israeli delegation would head to Doha for more talks. Reports in Israel say officials have said talks on the second phase of the Gaza deal wouldn't start until the security cabinet meets, which is due for Monday.