Today: Friday, 31 January 2025 year

Netanyahu received a list of hostages that Hamas should be released

Netanyahu received a list of hostages that Hamas should be released

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed receiving a list of hostages that the Palestinian movement Hamas is set to release on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

“Israel has received the list of hostages to be released by Hamas tomorrow. Detailed comments will be provided after the list is reviewed and the families are notified,” the statement said.

Earlier on Friday, Hamas announced that it would release three more Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the agreement with Israel and published their names. The list includes Israelis Ofer Calderon (54), Shmuel Kit Sigal (65), and Yarden Bibas (35).

Yarden Bibas was abducted along with his wife, Shiri Bibas, and their two young children, one of whom was less than a year old at the time of the kidnapping. The red-haired infant, named Kfir, has become one of the symbols of the struggle by hostage families and the Israeli public for the return of those abducted from Gaza. Shiri and the children remain in Hamas captivity, and their current condition is unknown.

Since January 19, a ceasefire has been in effect in the Gaza Strip as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas to release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Over 15 months of armed escalation, approximately 46,000 Palestinians and around 1,500 Israelis have been killed. The conflict has spread to Lebanon and Yemen and has also triggered exchanges of missile strikes between Israel and Iran.

As part of the first phase of the deal, which involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages and around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners over 42 days, three exchanges have already taken place. Since the first day of the ceasefire, humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza have increased to 600 trucks per day, including 50 carrying fuel. Among other measures, Israel has allowed residents of Gaza to return from the south to the northern part of the enclave.

The agreement is being mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, which have established a coordination center in Cairo. On the 16th day of the ceasefire, Israel and Hamas are expected to begin negotiations on the second phase of the deal, which is expected to include the release of the remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops. The mediators are also discussing a third phase, which would involve the exchange of remains, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the lifting of the blockade.

This is the second ceasefire during the conflict; the first was reached in November 2023 and lasted only six days.