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Hamas handed over 3 more Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in the last exchange. The three Israeli hostages are Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen. They were brought out by the Hamas and paraded on stage in the town of Nuseirat. They waved and held release certificates before they were handed over to officials from the Red Cross.
The Israeli hostage, identified as Omer Shem Tov, kissed the forehead of two Hamas members while waving on the stage.
⚡️#BREAKING Israeli “hostage” kisses the forehead of 2 Hamas members pic.twitter.com/Icg6TDEyEQ
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) February 22, 2025
A Red Cross convoy subsequently carried and took the hostages from the ceremony.
Per The Times of Israel, Malki Shem Tov, the father of Omer, said that his son's happy demeanor at the release showcases his personality. “Omer is thinner… but is upbeat, upbeat, the most positive-minded in the world,” Shem Tov tells Channel 12 in a video call.
“We didn't even know what he would look like. He just came out and surprised us all, with the smile, the wave — it's just crazy,” he says.
“That's Omer,” she says… He's just that kind of kid… He gets on with everyone. Even Hamas… They love him even there.” While his brother said that, "He's always, always positive.”
Per the IDF, the released hostages Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert have spent 505 days in Hamas captivity, and have now crossed the border into Israel.
The freed hostages have arrived at an IDF facility for a physical and mental checkup.