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Three Israeli men, held captive in the Gaza Strip for 16 months, are set to be released by Hamas on Saturday as part of .
Since the truce took effect on 19 January, 13 Israeli or dual-national hostages have been freed, along with five Thai hostages released outside of the agreement for the first stage.
A total of 33 hostages, eight of whom Israel says are dead, are set to be released during the first 42-day phase of the deal in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinians held by Israel.
The fate of the remaining children held in Gaza — Kfir Bibas and his brother Ariel — as well as their mother Shiri remains unknown.
The Hamas media office said Israel was expected to free 183 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange, including 18 who have been serving life sentences, 54 serving long sentences and 111 who were detained in the Gaza Strip during the war.
Earlier the Palestinian militant group accused Israel of breaching their ceasefire accord and held off announcing the names of the three Israelis until the deadline had passed. It was not immediately clear whether the delay would affect the scheduled exchange on Saturday.
This is what we know about the three men set to be released on Saturday.
Eli Sharabi
Eli Sharabi, who will turn 53 in February, was at his home in kibbutz Beeri with his British-born wife and their two teenage daughters when Hamas stormed it on 7 October, 2023.
The armed men shot their dog, before locking the family in their safe room and setting it on fire. The bodies of his wife and two daughters were later identified.
He was taken to Gaza along with his brother Yossi. The Israeli military said early last year that Yossi was killed and his body was in the hands of Hamas in Gaza.
Ohad Ben Ami
Ohad Ben Ami, 56, was abducted with his wife Raz Ben Ami from their home in kibbutz Beeri.
She was released during the one-week truce in November 2023.
Images have circulated on social media showing him being seized in a t-shirt and underwear.
Ben Ami, who has dual Israeli and German citizenship and turned 56 in captivity, is the accountant for his kibbutz and a keen bike rider.
Or Levy
Or Levy, 34, and his wife Einav Levy went to the Nova music festival, leaving their two-year-old son Almog with his grandparents.
The usually inseparable couple, who met in high school, tried to hide from the Hamas attackers along Route 232, the only path away from the festival.
“When gunfire erupted shortly after their arrival, they sought refuge in a concrete safe room, later known as ‘the death bunker’. There, Einav was murdered, and Or was taken captive,” the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
Or was abducted with three other young men.
Israel has bombarded Gaza for 15 months following Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack in which some 1,200 people were killed and over 200 hostages taken, according to the Israeli government. More than 47,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
The October 7 attack was a significant escalation in the long-standing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
