The families of six hostages, including Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, Hisham al-Sayed, and Avera Mengistu, have confirmed that their loved ones are set to return home this Shabbos.
The relatives of Hisham al-Sayed shared, “Our Hisham will return home after 3,595 days, nearly a decade of waiting. While the news of his return is a source of joy, we cannot truly rejoice until all hostages are back. This agreement must not end here, and no other hostages should endure such long captivity.”
In addition to the six hostages who will be freed alive this Shabbos, four others, who died while in captivity, are expected to be returned on Thursday.
Reports suggest that Hamas plans to release six living hostages as early as Shabbos as part of a deal to secure the release of 47 terrorists. These terrorists were originally freed in the agreement to release IDF soldier Gilad Shalit but were later re-arrested. The urgency is said to stem from concerns that any delay might prevent their release.
The Bibas family responded on Tuesday evening to the earlier announcement made by a Hamas spokesperson regarding the return of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas on Thursday, as part of the exchange involving deceased hostages.
The family stated, “In the past few hours, we have been experiencing intense emotional distress following the announcement by the Hamas spokesperson about the return of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir on Thursday, along with the bodies of others. We want to clarify that while we have heard the reports, we have not yet received any official confirmation on this matter.”
{Matzav.com Israel}