2 Hostages were Brought to Watch the release of Fellow Captives in Cynical Ceremony

In a shocking twist, two hostages—Guy Gilboa and Aviatar David—were brought to the release point to witness the return of three hostages: Omar Wankert, Omar Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen. The two were kidnapped from the Nuba party in Ra’im on October 7 and had been presumed separated during months of captivity. Their families were left in uncertainty until Guy’s father, Ilan Gilboa, received the first sign of life from his son in over eight months. The sign came from one of the six survivors who returned on Saturday, bringing emotional relief to the family.

Hamas orchestrated a cynical "ceremony" involving Guy and Aviatar, as they watched their fellow hostages' release unfold. Despite their initial belief that the two were separated during their captivity, Ilan Gilboa was told his son had been together with another survivor, reaffirming Guy’s life after months of silence. Gilboa and Aviatar were kidnapped together with their friends Ron Sarfati and Idan Ramati, both of whom were killed in the October 7 massacre.

Guy and Aviatar had managed to escape a violent firefight at the Nuba party and found temporary shelter in a bush. They were later discovered by terrorists, handcuffed, and transported to Gaza.

Hostages Released in Exchange for 602 Prisoners
The hostages freed on Saturday—Omar Shem Tov, Omar Wankert, and Eliya Cohen—were part of a larger swap. Hamas agreed to release 602 prisoners in exchange for the six Israeli hostages, which includes individuals convicted of severe crimes, some of whom were rearrested after earlier deals, such as the Shalit deal. Following the release, the hostages were sent to hospitals, including Ichilov and Beilinson, for medical evaluations.

Backgrounds of the Freed Hostages

• Eliya Cohen, 27, from Tzur Hadassah, was kidnapped after the grenade attack on a shelter near Reim, known as the “Death Shelter.” His partner, Ziv Aboud, was killed during the attack, and Cohen had even planned to propose to her.
• Omar Wenkert, 23, from Gedera, was seen in distressing footage from Hamas showing him handcuffed and transported to Gaza. Wenkert, who suffers from colitis, has been under medical concern throughout his captivity.
• Omar Shem Tov, 22, from Herzliya, had been in contact with his family before he was captured. A social media video of him being handcuffed emerged shortly after his abduction.

Remaining Hostages and Political Tensions
While the release of these hostages brings a glimmer of hope, 59 hostages—including 35 presumed dead—are not part of this deal. Senior Israeli officials have raised concerns that future negotiations for additional hostages may fail without external pressure, especially from the U.S. Political sources warn that Netanyahu's decision to restructure the negotiating team could jeopardize further progress.

As the hostage crisis continues, the fate of those still held by Hamas remains uncertain, with both families and officials pushing for further action in the coming weeks.