Three Israeli hostages have been freed by Hamas as part of a prisoner exchange but fury erupted after they were shown looking emaciated on Saturday morning.
Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, who were kidnapped during the October 7 attacks, had been paraded on stage by gunmen.
Mr Sharabi’s family have spoken of their relief that he has been freed, but say he looks “incredibly frail” and “the spark was gone from his eyes”.
During their release, Hamas staged a ceremony where the hostages were shown holding certificates while armed militants brandished rifles before handed them over to Red Cross officials in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already warned Israel will not “gloss over” events nor “remain silent”, adding: “The shocking images that we have seen today will not go unaddressed.”
Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, said in a post on X: “This is what a crime against humanity looks like! The whole world must look directly at Ohad, Or and Eli - returning after 491 days of hell, starved, emaciated and pained - being exploited in a cynical and cruel spectacle by vile murderers.”
Gal Hirsch, Netanyahu’s hostage czar, says the country will respond to “Hamas’ repeated violations”, referring to concerns about the health of the hostages released today.
He said: “The shocking sights we saw today touch the hearts of all of us and join the living and searing memory of October 7, 2023.
“The State of Israel views Hamas' repeated violations with great severity, and the situation of the three abductees who were released this morning with great severity.”
Mr Levy was captured from the Nova music festival where his wife Einav was killed, though family members say he may be unaware of her death. Mr Sharabi and Mr Ben Ami were both taken from Kibbutz Be'eri during the Hamas assault.
Mr Sharabi, 52, was abducted with his brother, Yossi, whose death has since been confirmed.
His British-born wife Lianne and two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were found murdered in their home.
His brother-in-law Steve Brisley, 48, of Bridgend, Wales, told the PA news agency: “It has been a day of relief, all the way through joy, all the way through to heartache. Really, it’s a real sort of the real spectrum emotions.
“Up until his name came out on the list yesterday afternoon, we still didn’t know whether he was alive or dead.”
The hostages’ emaciated condition and the stage-managed ceremony, a departure from previous hostage releases where the captives were not made to speak, sparked outrage in Israel.
After watching the televised ceremony from his home in Britain, Mr Brisley said he did not recognise Mr Sharabi at first, as he looked “incredibly frail, incredibly pale and it’s clear that he’s not seen daylight for some time”.
He added: “It really struck me how it’s clear how much weight he’s lost. I mean, the baggy clothes were hanging off of him. You could see his wrists were bony.
“The thing that really struck me was his face. It’s drawn and it’s gaunt, the dark rings around his eyes.
“Eli has always been a very happy, smiley man and he smiles with his whole face and with his eyes.
“It was the spark was gone from his eyes, that’s the thing I think I found most distressing to see.
“He looked confused and and disorientated.
“It’s not the Eli that that I know and love. Obviously, the impact of 491 days was written all over his face.”
Referring to survivors of Second World War prisoner camps, Mr Brisley said: “I think the comparison is clear there, with the bony, gaunt faces.
“It’s haunting to see him like that. I can only imagine what the last 15 months has done to him to make him look like that.
“I think it’s the light that’s gone from his eyes, that’s the most concerning thing, because physical pain and physical problems can be repaired much more easily than the mental ones.”
It is not known if Mr Sharabi is aware that his loved ones were killed but “we know that some of the terrorists did kill family members in front of the people they’ve taken hostage, purely for the psychological terror of it,” Mr Brisley said.
He added: “I do wonder if he hasn’t known about it all this time, is the prospect of being reunited with Lianne and the girls been what’s kept him going and nourished him for 491 days?
“What is it going to do to the man when he finds out that they’re gone, because family is everything to him.
“He is a family man and everything he does, everything he is, is for his family. The joy he may have felt at walking to freedom will be completely shattered by the news that his family has gone.”
Red Cross vehicles transported the freed hostages to a meeting point with Israeli forces, who will escort them out of Gaza.
Later Mr Sharabi was seen embracing his mother and sister in pictures published by the Israel Defense Forces.
The release comes as part of a delicate peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, with Israel agreeing to free nearly 200 Palestinian prisoners in return.
The exchange marks the latest development in ongoing negotiations following the October attacks, which saw multiple Israelis taken captive from southern communities and events near the Gaza border.
An Israeli campaign group renewed calls for all remain hostages to be released immediately.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement: “The disturbing images from the release of Ohad, Eli, and Or serve as yet another stark and painful evidence that leaves no room for doubt - there is no time to waste for the hostages!”
