Israel announced Tuesday that six living hostages under the current ceasefire agreement will be freed on Saturday, following Hamas’s decision to expedite their release.
The six include Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, both held since crossing into Gaza in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The other four—Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen—were kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, attacks.
Families of the hostages confirmed they were on the release list, with Shem-Tov’s mother expressing disbelief and relief. “Now I can breathe,” she said.
Hamas is also expected to return the bodies of eight murdered hostages over the next two weeks.
Mengistu and al-Sayed, both suffering from mental illness, have spent nearly a decade in captivity. Their families have long struggled to generate public support for their release.
Shoham, taken from Kibbutz Be’eri, was last seen restrained before being forced into a car. Wenkert, Shem-Tov, and Cohen were abducted from the Nova music festival, with reports indicating they endured harsh conditions in captivity.
Israeli authorities continue working to secure the release of all remaining hostages.
