Key points
- Number of Palestinians to be released not confirmed
- Releases could begin before noon (1000 GMT)
- Fragile truce holds
JERUSALEM: Hamas was set Saturday to release four Israeli women soldiers under a truce deal in the Gaza war that is also expected to see a second group of Palestinian prisoners freed.
Israel confirmed Friday that it had received a list of names of hostages who are due to return home, though neither side has specified how many Palestinians will be released from Israeli detention if everything goes to plan.
According to the Israeli Hostage and Missing Families Forum, the women due for release are Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag.
Albag turned 19 while in captivity, while the others are all now 20 years old.
The exchange is part of a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect last Sunday, and which is intended to pave the way to a permanent end to the conflict.
Mediators Qatar and the United States announced the agreement days ahead of US President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and he has since claimed credit for securing it after months of fruitless negotiations.
Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, said on Telegram Friday that “as part of the prisoners’ exchange deal, the Qassam brigades decided to release tomorrow four women soldiers”.
Names confirmed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed it had received the names through mediators.
Palestinian sources told AFP the releases could begin before noon (1000 GMT), though neither Hamas nor Israel has issued a statement on expected timings.
According to Israel’s prison service, some of the Palestinians released will go to Gaza, with the rest to return to the occupied West Bank.
Families of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas staged the deadliest attack in Israeli history awaited the return of their loved ones after 15 months of agony.
“The worry and fear that the deal will not be implemented to the end is eating away at all of us,” said Vicky Cohen, the mother of hostage Nimrod Cohen.
