Michael D. Carroll
The Iran-backed Hamas militant group announced on Friday the names of four hostages it claims will be released on Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
What's The Context
Israel has yet to confirm the identities of the hostages, however a Hamas spokesman has said that hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Liri Albag are set to return to Israel on Saturday.
What To Know
The release, which has been confirmed as scheduled for Saturday, is set to take place in exchange for the freedom of dozens of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons or detention facilities. The logistics of this exchange of detainees for hostages has not been released, however it is possible the handover will be carried out in a similar way to the release of the first three hostages since the beginning of the current ceasefire deal, Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, last Sunday. This saw the Red Cross bus hostages and detainees separately into Israel and Gaza respectively.
How Many Hostages Were Already Released?
Before the current ceasefire agreement, at least 117 hostages had been released, primarily through prisoner exchanges with Israel. Israeli authorities estimate that at least 98 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, though this number may include the remains of dozens who were killed or died during the conflict.
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