Hamas said on Friday it would release four female soldiers held hostage in Gaza for more than a year, as part of Saturday’s hostage swap with Israelis. And the Palestinians are anxiously awaiting the next steps in the deal.
In a statement, Hamas named the four women, who were abducted from a military base near Gaza during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that started the war. Israel said mediators between the two sides had passed along a list of names of hostages to be released on Saturday, without confirming their identities.
Mediators hope that the six-week war between Israel and Hamas, which began on Sunday, can lay the groundwork for a permanent end to the war in Gaza. But the coming weekend could prove to be a crucial test for the deal.
Under the terms of the deal, Israel is expected to release about 200 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday in exchange for four female hostages, including some serving life sentences for their involvement in attacks on Israelis.
The war also stipulated that, around the release of the four hostages, Israeli forces would have to partially withdraw from a large zone in central Gaza to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in the devastated north. Let it start.
And Hamas has also pledged to provide Israel with information on the condition of the remaining hostages released during the six-week truce on Saturday, said two Israeli officials, who were asked to discuss the sensitive diplomacy. He spoke on condition of anonymity.
Israel has long demanded to know which hostages are still alive after more than 15 months of captivity in Gaza. Hamas has refused to provide the information, with some officials arguing that they cannot confirm the status of their fighters before they are allowed to move and communicate freely.
A 42-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into force on Sunday, halting fighting. Hamas agreed to release more than 1,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and the remaining 33 hostages in exchange for a partial Israeli withdrawal. During the break, both sides agreed to discuss the terms of the long-overdue ceasefire.
Many on both sides saw the deal as a watershed moment. Gazans were grateful for the recovery after a 15-month war that killed tens of thousands of people, even as they feared for their future in the raid, which has been reduced to mostly rubble.
Israelis experienced a moment of collective euphoria over the release of three female hostages — Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Dumari, 28; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, but their joy was overshadowed by scenes of Hamas fighters parading through the streets of Gaza, despite Israeli leaders vowing to destroy the group. As part of this exchange, Israel released 90 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
The war began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that Israeli officials say has left about 1,200 dead and 250 hostages. Israel’s resulting military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed at least 45,000 people, according to local health officials, whose figures do not distinguish between civilians and fighters.
According to Israeli officials, about 94 hostages still remain in Gaza, dozens of whom are presumed dead. They include Israeli soldiers, male civilians, women and Thai migrant workers.
