Hamas has released the names of four Israeli soldiers set to be freed on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The hostages include Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy, all aged 20, as well as 19-year-old Liri Albag. All four were serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and were captured during Hamas’ cross-border attack on the Nahal Oz base in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The exchange will include 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails—50 prisoners for each IDF soldier released under the ceasefire deal. Of the Palestinian prisoners, 120 are reportedly serving life sentences.
NBC News, citing a senior Hamas official, confirmed that all four Israeli captives are alive. The latest exchange follows the release of three Israeli hostages earlier in the week, including dual British citizen Emily Damari.
Israeli authorities have yet to confirm the names of the hostages to be released. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated, “A list of kidnapped women has been received by the mediators. Israel’s response will be provided later.”
Reports indicate that Israel requested civilian Arbel Yehoud to be included in the group set for release. However, her name was not listed by Hamas, raising speculation that she may be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in Gaza.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees.
The Gaza-based Prisoners’ Media Office released a statement confirming the planned exchange, adding, “We are waiting for the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released, which includes 120 prisoners with life sentences and 80 with high sentences, per the ceasefire agreement.”
The process will involve handing over the Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross. They will then be transported to Israel through border crossings for medical evaluations before being flown to hospitals. The Palestinian detainees are expected to leave Ofer Prison in the West Bank late Saturday or early Sunday.
