Israel also set to release second batch of Palestinian prisoners Saturday under agreement
The Palestinian group Hamas is expected to provide to Israel the names of three female soldiers and an Israeli civilian it is holding in Gaza in preparation for their release this weekend as part of a ceasefire deal, a local newspaper reported Wednesday.
The Yedioth Ahronoth daily said the four captives are expected to be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday afternoon, after which they will be transferred to Israeli forces.
The newspaper speculated that the civilian to be released may be Arbel Yehud, who was taken hostage with her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct, 7, 2023 when Hamas launched its cross-border attack on Israel.
It said that on Saturday, Israel is also expected to receive the full list that Hamas committed to providing, which includes both live captives and the deceased among the remaining 33 hostages to be released in the first phase.
"According to Israeli estimates, at least 25 of the 33 hostages are still alive,” the daily added.
Israel is set to release a second batch of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday under the agreement.
The first six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Jan. 19, suspending the Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave.
The three-phase ceasefire agreement includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Nearly 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed and more than 110,700 injured in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, according to local health authorities.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
