- The release will be exchanged for 180 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
- Second swap follows the ceasefire that halted the October 7 war between Hamas and Israel.
Hamas has announced the release of four hostages under the ongoing Gaza ceasefire deal, scheduled for Saturday. The hostages, identified as Israeli soldiers Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, will be freed in exchange for 180 Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israel.
This marks the second such exchange since the ceasefire began on Sunday, following an initial swap in which three hostages and 90 prisoners were released.
The ceasefire came into effect after the war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. In retaliation, Israel’s offensive has claimed the lives of more than 47,200 Palestinians, the majority of whom are civilians, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Initially, a female Israeli civilian, Arbel Yehud, was expected to be included in the Saturday release. However, her name was omitted from the list, with Israeli media speculating that she may be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a separate militant group.
Hamas is also expected to release further details on the remaining 26 hostages, including the Bibas family – two parents and their two children, one of whom, 10-month-old Kfir, is the youngest hostage taken.
In this second swap, the Palestinian prisoners released will be considered more serious offenders, some of whom are serving sentences of more than 15 years for charges including murder. However, Israel has insisted that no prisoners involved in the October 7 attacks will be included in the release.
The ceasefire negotiations are expected to continue over the coming weeks, with further exchanges anticipated as the situation unfolds.
