A senior Hamas official has announced that as part of the first phase of the truce with Israel, Hamas will release four Israeli hostages in the second phase on Saturday. The list of those to be released will be handed over to mediators on Friday.
The Times of Israel reported this on Thursday, January 23.
In an interview with Qatar-based news outlet Al-Arabiya, Hamas leader Zaher Jabareen said, “Tomorrow (Friday), we will provide mediators with the names of four hostages to be released on Saturday.”
Jabareen, currently exiled in Istanbul, Turkey, is a key figure in overseeing Hamas operations in the West Bank.
Women Hostages to Be Released by Hamas
As part of the scheduled prisoner exchange agreement, Hamas will release four female hostages on Saturday evening, including both military personnel and civilians.
Hamas was also expected to provide Israel with detailed information about the current status of the 30 hostages to be released in the first phase. This would have brought long-awaited clarity on how many hostages are still alive.
Israel’s Preparations and Uncertainty
However, citing security sources, Israeli media outlet Kan reported that Hamas might only disclose the number of hostages alive, without providing specific names or detailed information.
Israel believes that knowing the number of hostages will help them prepare appropriately regarding the Palestinian prisoners expected to be freed in exchange.
Meanwhile, a report in Hebrew media on Wednesday revealed that Israel explicitly informed Hamas that they expect the release of captive Arbelle Yahud as part of Saturday’s prisoner exchange.
Arbelle Yahud, an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas, has limited publicly available details. However, Israel remains hopeful about his release as part of the second phase of the prisoner exchange agreement.