Ceasefire Phase One Hamas Discloses Names of Last Hostages to Be Freed

Hamas has released the names of the last six living hostages to be freed under the first phase of the current ceasefire agreement. The group, which includes four Israeli citizens captured on October 7 and two long-term hostages held in Gaza for nearly a decade, is set to be released on Saturday.

The final six hostages include:

• Omer Shem Tov, 22–Kidnapped from the Nova Festival alongside his siblings, Shem Tov was tracked to Gaza using his phone. His siblings were released in a previous deal.

• Omer Wenkert, 23– Taken from the Nova Festival, Wenkert suffers from an autoimmune disease requiring medication. His last message to his parents was, “I’m dying from fear.”

• Eliya Cohen, 27–Captured at the Nova Festival, Cohen planned to propose to his fiancée, who survived by hiding under bodies. He is reportedly unaware that she is still alive.

• Tal Shoham, 30–Kidnapped from kibbutz Be’eri with his family, Shoham holds Israeli, Austrian, and Italian citizenship. Most of his family members have already been released.

• Hisham Al-Sayed, 36–An Arab-Israeli with severe mental health issues who wandered into Gaza in 2015. His family has long advocated for his release.

• Avraham (Avera) Mengisto, 39–An Israeli of Ethiopian descent who crossed into Gaza in 2014. His family received confirmation of his captivity only in January 2023.

The release is part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which has seen 19 of 33 hostages freed so far, along with five Thai hostages in a separate deal. However, 73 hostages, including those abducted on October 7, remain in captivity. Negotiations for the second phase are expected to begin in the coming days.

While the release of these hostages has brought hope to their families, it is tempered by the news that Hamas will also return the remains of four other hostages, including Ariel and Kfir Bibas, the youngest victims aged four years and nine months at the time of their abduction.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed “profound relief” but emphasized the urgency of continuing negotiations. “We call upon President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu to do everything in their power to advance the second phase of negotiations immediately. Every day matters for those still held captive,” the forum stated.

With 73 hostages still unaccounted for, international pressure is mounting on Hamas and Israeli leaders to reach further agreements. As phase one concludes, the focus now shifts to phase two, where more delicate negotiations are anticipated.

This complex situation underscores the human toll of the ongoing conflict and the need for sustained diplomatic efforts to secure the release of all hostages.

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