Hamas names four Israeli 'women soldiers' to be freed in next swap with Israel

Four more hostages are due to be released on Saturday as part of the second exchange of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Under the terms of the three-phased Gaza ceasefire deal, Hamas will release hostages held in Gaza in exchange for the liberation of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails during the first phase of the truce, which lasts 42 days.

Hamas named on Friday four Israeli "women soldiers" held hostage since October 7 whom it plans to release from captivity in a second exchange under a ceasefire deal that has halted the Gaza war.

Israel confirmed it had received the list of names.

If all goes according to plan, after Hamas releases the four hostages on Saturday, Israel should free a group of Palestinian prisoners, though neither side has specified how many they will be.

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The exchange is part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza war, which took effect on Sunday and saw three women hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners freed.

The fragile truce is intended to pave the way to a permanent end to the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.

Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, said on Telegram that "as part of the prisoners' exchange deal, the Qassam brigades decided to release tomorrow four women soldiers".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed it had received the names through mediators.

"An Egyptian-Qatari committee will oversee the implementation of this part of the agreement on the ground," he said.

(AFP)


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