Hamas has commenced the release of Israeli hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement, handing over the first two individuals to the Red Cross in a move that has drawn significant attention. The handover occurred on Saturday in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, where masked and armed Hamas fighters escorted the hostages, Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 39, onto a stage in front of a gathered crowd. Following the ceremony, the two were placed in ambulances that proceeded towards a crossing point into Israel.

Tal Shoham, from Ma’ale Tzviya, was kidnapped during the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas militants while visiting family in Kibbutz Be’eri. His family expressed their relief, stating they were “starting to breathe again” upon seeing him freed. Avera Mengistu, an Ethiopian-Israeli, has been in captivity since he crossed into Gaza voluntarily in 2014. Watching the live broadcast, Mengistu’s family broke into a song celebrating his freedom as they saw him after more than a decade.

The ceasefire arrangement stipulates the release of six hostages in total. The next three individuals to be freed are Eliya Cohen, 27; Omer Shem Tov, 22; and Omer Wenkert, 23, all of whom were abducted from a music festival that coincided with the October 7 attacks. Additionally, Hisham Al-Sayed, aged 36, who also entered Gaza on his own several years ago, is part of this release deal.

In exchange for these hostages, the Palestinian prisoners’ media office reported that over 600 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails will be released. This group includes individuals serving life sentences and those arrested since the onset of the current conflict.

As negotiations unfolded, Hamas announced plans to release four more bodies next week, which would mark the completion of the initial phase of the ceasefire. However, the group has indicated that it will not release the remaining hostages without a comprehensive ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly reiterated his commitment to dismantling Hamas’s military capabilities while ensuring the safe return of all hostages, a task viewed by many as being at odds with one another.

In a separate development, an Egyptian NHS doctor, Dr Menatalla Elwan, has successfully challenged a deportation order linked to her social media posts concerning the October 7 attacks in Israel. The 34-year-old, who has been living in the UK legally since 2016, reposted videos of festival-goers fleeing the violence, accompanied by comments perceived as supporting Hamas actions, which prompted the Home Office to consider her temporary right to remain in the UK.

The Home Office described her online statements as “expressions of support and justification for, and indeed glorification of, Hamas terrorist violence.” However, an immigration tribunal judge found that the cancellation of her leave was not reasonable or proportionate under the European Convention on Human Rights. The judge, Stephen Davies, commented on Dr Elwan’s overall positive record in the UK and noted that her conduct was a “one-off” incident. While her appeal against the decision to deny her indefinite leave to remain was rejected, she continues to hold her skilled worker status until mid-2027, as the tribunal has urged the Home Office to reassess its decision.

Source: Noah Wire Services