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Watch | Freed Israeli hostage kisses foreheads of two Hamas members

Hisham al-Sayed, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert have now been released

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Omer Shem Tov was seen kissing the forehead of two Hamas members while waving on stage. (X)

In a dramatic moment during a hostage exchange, recently freed Israeli captive Omer Shem Tov was seen kissing the forehead of two Hamas members while waving on stage.

The exchange, which took place in the town of Nuseirat, saw Hamas handing over three Israeli hostages—Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Eliya Cohen—to the Red Cross. The hostages were paraded in front of a crowd, holding release certificates before being formally transferred.

A video of Shem Tov’s unexpected gesture quickly went viral, drawing widespread attention and sparking discussion.

⚡️#BREAKING Israeli “hostage” kisses the forehead of 2 Hamas members pic.twitter.com/Icg6TDEyEQ

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) February 22, 2025

Following the public display, a Red Cross convoy transported the hostages to safety. According to The Times of Israel, Shem Tov’s father, Malki Shem Tov, expressed relief and admiration for his son’s positive attitude.

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“Omer is thinner… but he is upbeat, the most positive-minded in the world,” he told Channel 12 in a video call.

Family members described Shem Tov as someone who naturally connects with others. “That’s Omer,” a relative said. “He’s just that kind of kid… He gets along with everyone. Even Hamas… They love him even there.”

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the three released hostages had been in captivity for 505 days. After crossing the border into Israel, they were taken to an IDF facility for medical and psychological evaluations.

Hamas freed six hostages from Gaza on Saturday. The six are the last living hostages from a group of 33 due to be freed in the first stage of the ceasefire deal that took effect on January 19.

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