Another four prisoners should be delivered later this Saturday (22); To end the first part of the truce, the last four bodies that follow in Gaza need to be returned
Avera Mengista, an Israeli-Etiope who has been kept in captivity for more than a decade, and Talham, an Austrian Israeli-taken Beeri Israeli in October 2023, returned to Israel on Saturday (22) after being released during the dawn in Rafah, southern. The former prison “have crossed the border to Israeli territory and are currently on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will meet with family members,” a military statement confirmed.
The two men who have been released should undergo an initial medical examination at a military base near the border before being transported by helicopter to a hospital. “We are at the height of emotion. The first thing I will say is that we regret that (its release) it took so long, ”said Gil Elias, a relative of Mengista, in statements reported by the Israeli liberal newspaper“ Haaretz ”. “Abera looks very physically, we hope she is also well mentally. We could not have asked for more than that, ”added Elias.
Mengista, 38, jumped to the Gaza border alone, according to his family, during an episode of psychotic outbreak in September 2014 and was arrested by a Hamas Patrol. In turn, Shoham, 40, was captured during the attack of October 7, 2023 while visiting his family at Kibutz Beeri. Shoham’s cousin, Inbal Tzach, told Israeli news station “Channel 12” on Saturday that the family is happy that Shoham can return with their two young children and said they will continue to fight “until the last hostage is returned.”
They should also be released later this Saturday at the Nusirat Refugee Field, in the center of the track, the hostages Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov, Ommer Wenkert -all taken to the Force of the New Festival -, like the Bedouin Hisham al Sayed, diagnosed with schizophrenia and which entered Gaza in April 2015. The release of these four prisoners will complete the exchange of 25 Living hostages (besides five Thai who were not foreseen) agreed in this first phase of the 42-day ceasefire and ends on March 1.
To end this phase it remains only that the last four bodies that follow in Gaza are delivered, which is scheduled for next Thursday, the 27th, and that Israel releases more prisoners and detainees and detainees Palestinians. A second phase of exchanges should begin shortly thereafter, with the aim of releasing Israeli soldiers still kept in captivity in exchange for Palestinians, but negotiations for this phase barely began, according to Israeli Hamas and authorities.
Pulled by Luisa Cardoso
*With information from EFE
