The three men all appeared thin, weak and pale, and in worse condition than the 18 hostages who had previously been freed under the truce.

Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy – all taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel – were handed to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, after 491 days of captivity. The three appeared thin and pale when they were led onto a makeshift stage sparking concerns about the condition of hostages under Hamas captivity.

Hamas militants freed three more Israeli hostages on Saturday in exchange for Israel releasing another 183 Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire agreement.