Hamas reportedly disclosed the identities of the next four Israeli hostages to be liberated under the Gaza cease-fire agreement, as mediators aspire to generate momentum that may result in a permanent resolution to the conflict.
On Saturday, the terrorist group will release Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, all of whom are female combatants, according to Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, on Friday.
The protocols of the multiphase agreement stipulate that female hostages—both civilians and soldiers—are to be freed initially, succeeded by elderly and injured males, and then the remains of the deceased.
Only a limited number of captives satisfy the criteria for the initial releases.
The disclosure of the four identities indicates that two further women—29-year-old civilian Arbel Yehoud and another soldier, Agam Berger—are expected to remain captives until the subsequent batch of hostage releases planned for next weekend.
On October 7, 2023, Ariev, Gilboa, Levy, Albag, and Berger were abducted from a military post near Gaza during the initial Hamas assaults that ignited the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The two parties negotiated the initial phase of the cease-fire with the anticipation that Hamas would first liberate female civilians, followed by female troops.
The release of hostages and the timing thereof is highly delicate in Israel, since some families of prisoners remain uncertain about the status of their loved ones, whether alive or deceased.
Israel anticipated that Yehoud would be among those released this Saturday, according to an individual knowledgeable about the agreement.
It was not immediately evident whether Israel will contest the postponed release of Yehoud.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that it has received the list of hostages scheduled for release on Saturday and would provide a response subsequently.
Hamas muddled expectations over Saturday’s exchange earlier this week by announcing it would release four female soldiers this weekend.
This sparked concerns in Israel regarding Yehoud and underscored other potential conflicts that may jeopardize a delicately balanced accord.
Yehoud was abducted from a kibbutz adjacent to Gaza on October 7, 2023. Israel asserts that she was detained for a period by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas.
The female soldiers are currently aged 19 or 20 and were removed from their army base during compulsory military duty.
The initial phase’s list of 33 individuals also comprises one more female civilian, Shiri Bibas, along with her two children, Ariel and Kfir, who were 4 years and 9 months old, respectively, at the time of their abduction.
Hamas stated in November that they were murdered in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military stated it examined the Hamas assertion but has not verified their fatalities.
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