Hamas Releases 2 Israeli Hostages In Rafah, 4 More To Be Freed Soon- wna24

Rafah: Hamas on Saturday handed over the first two of six hostages due to be freed at the Red Cross under the latest ceasefire dynamics. 

The first two hostages, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 39, were brought onto a stage in southern Gaza’s Rafah, where they were transferred to Red Cross ambulances before heading to an Israeli border crossing, AP reported.

Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli, was held in Gaza since 2014 after crossing into the area voluntarily.

Upon seeing him for the first time in over a decade, his family celebrated by singing the Hebrew song “Here is the Light.”

Shoham, who was taken during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in Kibbutz Be’eri, was reunited with his family. His wife, two young children, and other relatives had been freed in a previous exchange in November 2023.

Shoham’s family expressed relief, saying they were “starting to breathe again” after his return.