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SvennoJ on 08 February 2025
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Hamas releases three Israeli captives

Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, have been freed from a location in Deir-el Balah in central Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.


Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami are released by Hamas fighters in Deir el-Balah


Who are the freed Israeli captives?

Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy have been released by Hamas in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah.

Here is some information about who they are:

  • Fifty-two-year-old Eli Sharabi was taken from the Be’eri settlement in Israel on October 7, 2023 with his brother, Yossi, whose death has been confirmed by Israel since then. Sharabi’s wife and two daughters, who were teenagers, were killed during the Hamas-led attack.
  • Ohad Ben Ami, 56, was also taken in Be’eri with his wife, Raz. She was freed as part of the Hamas-Israel deal in November 2023. Ben Ami worked as an accountant.
  • Or Levy, 34, a computer programmer from the city of Rishon LeZion, was attending the Nova music festival on October 7 with his 32-year-old wife, Eynav, when fighters attacked the event. Eynav was killed and Or was abducted. Their two-year-old son was not present.

Captives’ families celebrate in Israel’s Be’eri settlement


Families and supporters celebrate the release of Ohad Ben Ami and Eli Sharabi, in the Israeli settlement of Be’eri where they were taken from


Released Israeli captives reunited with relatives

The three Israelis released have been reunited with family members on Israeli soil.

“It’s over, it’s over,” Or Levy’s brother said as they embraced at a military base where the captives first crossed over from Gaza. Levy’s parents then joined them in a tearful embrace.

Levy’s wife was killed in the October 7 attack and their 3-year-old son has been in the care of relatives since.

Ella Ben Ami, daughter of released abductee Ohad Ben Ami, told Israeli channel 12 she could barely recognise her father when she saw him in the live footage of his release after 16 months of captivity.

“I have to say that it was a really difficult few moments, to say the least. He was emaciated and his bones were protruding. It took me a moment to realise this was my father.”

Ella and her sisters, Yulie and Natalie, spoke with their father as he was checked over at a hospital. “You’re the strongest in the world!” Ella told him, according to footage released by the prime minister’s office.