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A deal between Israel and Hamas for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release remains in progress. Israel and Hamas will carry out the fourth prisoner-for-prisoner swap under the Gaza truce on Saturday, with the Palestinian group agreeing to free three Israeli detainees in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
On Thursday, Hamas released three Israeli hostages
Hamas has made public the names of the Israeli hostages to be released on Saturday. The hostages to be released include Israel's famous Yarden Bibas. Earlier on Thursday, Hamas had released three Israeli and five Thai hostages. In exchange for them, Israel had released 110 Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu welcomed the hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the released hostages on behalf of the nation on Thursday. Under the latest ceasefire agreement, Hamas has released 10 Israeli hostages, in return Israel has released 400 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas had attacked Israeli cities on October 7, 2023 and kidnapped about 250 people and held them hostage.
105 hostages were also released during the ceasefire agreement in November 2023. On Saturday (February 1), Hamas will release Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Calderon. When Yarden and his family were kidnapped, his younger son Kir was nine months old and elder son Ariel was four years old. Both children and their mother Shiri were also kidnapped by Hamas fighters.
Hamas reported in late 2023 that Shiri and her two children had been killed in Israeli bombing in Gaza. Hamas also released a video showing their bodies. Keith, who was released, also has US citizenship and Ofer has French citizenship.
Hamas to release 33 Israeli hostages
Under the latest agreement, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages in six weeks, in return Israel will release 990 Palestinian prisoners. Two terrorists were killed and an Israeli soldier was killed in Israeli action on Friday in Jenin city of Palestinian-dominated West Bank. The name of the killed Israeli soldier is Sergeant Liam Hezi.
