Washington, Feb 9 (IANS): Reiterating US President Donald Trump's firm stance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, following the return of three captives.
Taking to X, Rubio posted, "After 490 harrowing days in captivity, Eli, Or, and Ohad are finally home in Israel. President of the United States (POTUS) was clear -- Hamas must release all hostages now!"
The statement came after Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday. The freed captives, kidnapped during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, were identified as Ohad Ben Ami, 56, a dual Israeli-German citizen; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Or Levy, 34.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the hostages were transferred from central Gaza to the IDF and the Israel Security Agency before crossing into Israel.
Earlier, three vehicles from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) arrived at the designated handover site in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. The visibly frail and exhausted hostages stepped onto a platform to speak before being handed over by Hamas' military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, to the ICRC.
Reports noted that Ben Ami's wife had also been kidnapped on the same day but was released after 54 days in captivity as part of a previous hostage deal.
This release marks the fifth hostage-prisoner swap under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt and Qatar with US support.
As part of the deal, Israel has also begun releasing 183 Palestinian prisoners from its jails. Abdullah al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, confirmed that the released prisoners, transported by Red Cross buses, arrived in Ramallah. TV footage showed a large crowd gathering to welcome them.
The Hamas-affiliated Prisoners' Media Office stated that among the freed Palestinian prisoners were 18 serving life sentences, 54 with long-term sentences, and 111 from Gaza who were arrested after the October 7 attack.
The ongoing ceasefire agreement, which took effect on January 19, outlines a phased swap: Hamas is to release 33 Israeli hostages over 42 days, while Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.