Hamas hands over 2 Israeli hostages to Red Cross

GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Hamas on Saturday handed over two Israeli hostages to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Rafah, southern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed.

The two are Avera Mengistu, 38, an Ethiopian-born Israeli man from Ashkelon, who crossed into Gaza in 2014 and had been held captive ever since, and Tal Shoham, 40, who was seized during the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, sources told Xinhua.

Members of Shoham's family, who were also taken hostage, were released in November 2023 under a temporary ceasefire agreement.

During the handover, an ICRC representative signed the release documents for the hostages. They were transferred from a vehicle of al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, to ICRC vehicles, which would later transport them to Israel.

Meanwhile, four other Israeli hostages are set to be released in central Gaza, while Israel will release 602 Palestinian prisoners later on Saturday, according to the sources.

The releases are part of the hostage-prisoner swaps under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The first phase, effective since Jan 19, is set to conclude next week, when Hamas is expected to finish the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners.