JERUSALEM (AP) — Three men held hostage in the Gaza Strip for more than 16 months were freed Saturday, bringing to 21 the number of captives released by militants since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began Jan. 19.
Those released were Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami — three Israeli civilians taken by Hamas militants from southern Israel in their shock attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
In the first phase of the ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages in Gaza will be released in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The ceasefire and release of hostages has sparked both hope and fear among Israelis. Many worry that the deal could collapse before all the hostages return, or that those released will arrive in poor health. Others worry that the number of captives who have died is higher than expected.
Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages during their Oct. 7, 2023, attack that launched the war in Gaza. More than 70 hostages remain in Gaza, although nearly half are believed to be dead. The others were released, rescued, or their bodies were recovered.
Israel's military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters but says more than half were women or children.
Here’s a look at the hostages released so far:
Eli Sharabi, 52
Eli Sharabi was taken captive by the militants from Kibbutz Beeri, a communal farm that was one of the hardest hit in the Hamas attack. His British-born wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed by militants while hiding in their safe room. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, who lived next door, was killed in captivity. Hamas militants are holding his body, according to the group representing the families of the hostages.
Sharabi's home bore marks from the attack months later. Associated Press journalists saw bullet holes in the walls and the shattered oven and TV screens. Nearby homes were torched by militants and their roofs blasted off during fighting on Oct. 7.
Ohad Ben Ami, 56
Ohad Ben Ami, a father to three, was kidnapped with his wife, Raz, from Kibbutz Beeri, where he was an accountant. Raz Ben Ami was released during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023.
The group representing the families of the hostages described Ben Ami as a “passionate nature enthusiast” and the “cornerstone of his family.”
Or Levy, 34
Or Levy was pulled out by the militants from a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival in southern Israel. His wife, Einav Levy, was killed during the attack. Their son Almog, now 3, has been in the care of relatives since the assault.
Levy was kidnapped alongside American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin as well as two other hostages — Eliya Cohen and Alon Ohel. Goldberg-Polin, whose parents staged a high-profile campaign for his release, was killed in Hamas captivity.
Levy is from the city of Rishon Lezion, where he worked as a computer programmer for a startup.
Yarden Bibas, 35
The release of Yarden Bibas has dimmed hopes that his wife and children were still alive in Gaza.
Hamas has claimed that the three were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has not confirmed that, but a military spokesperson said last week that the government was “extremely concerned” about their welfare.
Yarden Bibas was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7. Photos from the abduction show him wounded, bleeding from the head.
One of his two boys, Kfir, the youngest hostage, has come to represent the helplessness and anger over the hostage crisis.
Keith Siegel, 65
Keith Siegel, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was abducted with his wife, Aviva Siegel, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a communal farming village heavily damaged by the attack. She was freed during the November 2023 ceasefire deal, and has campaigned across the world for the release of her husband and other hostages.
Aviva Siegel said that she was held hostage with her husband during her 51 days in captivity. She said she took comfort from having her husband by her side as they were moved from tunnel to tunnel, the two given almost no food or water. Her parting words to him were, “Be strong for me.”
Ofer Kalderon, 54
Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli hostage, was taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz. His teenage children, Sahar and Erez, were also abducted, but they were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in 2023.
Arbel Yehoud, 29
Arbel Yehoud was taken hostage with her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, from Kibbutz Nir Oz. A third-generation resident of the kibbutz, she loves science and space, and her friends held a public star gazing to mark her birthday in captivity.
Her brother, Dolev Yehoud, was killed on Oct. 7.
Agam Berger, 20
In videos of Agam Berger's abduction, her face is covered in blood, though it' unclear if it is from her own wound or those of other soldiers.
Berger is a violin player from a suburb of Tel Aviv who enlisted in the army just two months before the attack.
Gadi Moses, 80
Gadi Moses was one of the oldest hostages who remained in captivity in Gaza.
He was taken from his home on Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the communities hardest-hit in the Hamas-led attack. The Hostages Families’ Forum, an advocacy group, described Moses as an expert agronomist who lectured on agriculture and helped maintain the kibbutz’s community vegetable garden.
Moses’ partner, Efrat, was killed during the attack.
Watchara Sriaoun, 33
In the Oct. 7 attack, militants overran the compound where agricultural workers lived on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Out of the 16 Thai workers living there, 11 were killed and five, including Watchara Sriaoun, were abducted.
They were among at least 31 Thai workers taken in the assault. In the November 2023 ceasefire, 23 were released in a deal negotiated between Thailand and Hamas, with assistance from Qatar and Iran.
Sathian Suwannakham, 35
Sathian Suwannakham was also taken from Nir Oz. The kibbutz has continued to advocate for the release of the Thai workers by posting regularly about them on social media, in addition to the Israeli hostages.
Surasak Rumnao, 32
Surasak Rumnao was abducted from the town of Yesha, located near the southern Gaza Strip.
His mother, Khammee Lamnao, said the Thai Embassy in Israel called her to let her know her son would be released.
Pongsak Thaenna, 36
Pongsak Thaenna was also taken from the town of Yesha. Thais make up the largest group of foreigners held in Gaza.
In the early days after the Oct. 7 attack, then-Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in phone conversations to assist the Thai hostages.
Bannawat Saethao, 27
Bannawat Saethao was also abducted from the town of Yesha.
Liri Albag, 19
Liri Albag, who was among those abducted from the Nahal Oz military base, was featured in a video Hamas released in early January, filmed under duress. Her family said the video was “difficult to watch” because of Albag’s clear emotional distress. They were particularly active in the protest movement pushing for a deal with Hamas to bring the hostages home.
“Liri, if you’re hearing us, tell the others that all the families are moving heaven and earth and want their children home, and we will fight until all hostages are returned,” her father said in a statement after the video was released.
Karina Ariev, 20
Karina Ariev was also taken from Nahal Oz.
Just before she was abducted, she she sent a message to her family, saying: “If I don’t live, take care of mom and dad all their lives. Don’t give up, live,” according to Israeli media. Her family said she loves to cook, sing, dance and write poetry.
Daniella Gilboa, 20
Also taken from Nahal Oz, Daniella Gilboa was originally named Danielle. Her parents changed it after she was taken captive, in line with a Jewish tradition that is believed to bring God’s protection.
Gilboa, from Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv, played piano and studied music in high school. She dreams of being a singer, according to Israeli media.
Naama Levy, 20
The footage from Naama Levy's abduction, in which she is wearing gray sweatpants covered in blood, was shown around the world.
Levy, among those taken from Nahal Oz, is a triathlete. When she was younger, she participated in the “Hands of Peace” delegation, which brings together Americans, Israelis and Palestinians to work on coexistence.
Romi Gonen, 24
Romi Gonen was taken from the Nova music festival in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. She spoke to her family for nearly five hours as militants marauded through the festival grounds. She told them that roads clogged with abandoned cars made escape impossible and that she would seek shelter in some bushes.
Her father, Eitan Goren, said she survived in part by learning Arabic, as it was the only way to communicate with her captors. “I just enjoy being with her even in silence, touching, hugging, watching her,” he said, a week after her release. “I missed it so much.”
Emily Damari, 28
Emily Damari is a British-Israeli citizen abducted from her apartment on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. She lived in a small apartment in a neighborhood for young adults, the closest part of the kibbutz to Gaza. Militants broke through the border fence of the kibbutz and ransacked the neighborhood.
The day after her release, Emily's mother, Mandy, said her daughter was “in high spirits and on the road to recovery.”
Doron Steinbrecher, 31
Doron Steinbrecher is a veterinary nurse who loves animals, and a neighbor to Damari in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Steinbrecher holds both Israeli and Romanian citizenship.
Steinbrecher was featured in a video released by Hamas in January 2024, along with two female Israeli soldiers. Her brother said the video gave them hope that she was alive but sparked concern because she looked tired, weak and gaunt.
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Associated Press writer Haruka Nega in Bangkok, Thailand, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Melanie Lidman And Julia Frankel, The Associated Press
