Hamas has identified four female Israeli soldiers to be released on Saturday in accordance with a ceasefire agreement with Israel that has halted fighting in the Gaza war since last weekend.
The Palestinian group said on its official Telegram channel that it would release Liri Albag, 19; Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; and Naama Levy, 20. All of them were taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, from the Nahal Oz army base on Israel's border with Gaza.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed that it had received a list of female hostages passed on by mediators, but did not name the women.
After they are handed over, Israel is expected to free 200 Palestinian or so prisoners and detainees, based on a calculation stipulated in the agreement that 50 detainees should be released for each female soldier.
If all goes according to plan this weekend, Hamas will have freed seven of the 33 hostages slated for release in the first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement. Not all of them are believed to be alive. In exchange, Israel will have so far released more than 2,000 Palestinian detainees.
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