Three Israelis and five Thai hostages expected to be freed next by Hamas

Israeli officials have stated that three Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals are expected to be released from Gaza on Thursday. This release marks the third hostage exchange under the latest Gaza ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli hostages being released include 29-year-old civilian woman, Avigail Yehud, 20-year-old military observer, Agam Berger, and 80-year-old man, Gadi Moses. In exchange, Israel will release 110 Palestinian prisoners.

The names of the Thai hostages have not been made public. Their release is a unilateral action by Hamas and is not part of the ceasefire agreement. They are reportedly agricultural workers who were working in Israel and were abducted while on the job. The Thai government says that six other Thai citizens are still being held in Gaza and have released their names, and two other Thai hostages are presumed dead.

The names of the 110 Palestinian prisoners that Israel will release have also not been made public, but they are believed to include at least 30 women and children, as well as prisoners serving life sentences. This is the third such exchange since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19. Previously, seven women were released in exchange for Israel releasing more than 290 Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli government has stated that a fourth hostage release is expected on Saturday involving three men. The Israeli military launched its operation on October 7, 2023, with the aim of destroying Hamas, after Hamas launched an unprecedented cross-border attack that killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage. Since then, more than 47,310 people have been killed in Gaza in the Israeli offensive, most of them civilians.

Avigail Yehud was abducted from her home in Nir Oz, southern Israel, during the October 7 attack. Her partner, Ariel Cunio, and his brother, David Cunio, remain in captivity. Avigail's brother, Dolev Yehud, was initially thought to be abducted but was later declared dead by Israeli authorities. Gadi Moses was also abducted from Nir Oz, where he worked as an agricultural expert. His partner, Efrat Katz, was killed in the attack.

20-year-old soldier Agam Berger was abducted from the Nahal Oz military base on the Gaza border. Videos released by Hamas showed her being taken away. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, she was serving as an observer at the base and had only arrived two days before the October 7 attack. Agam was captured along with her fellow observers Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, and Naama Levy. Four other Israeli soldiers were released by Hamas on January 25, in exchange for Israel releasing 200 Palestinian prisoners.

20-year-old Karina Ariev was serving at the Nahal Oz army base when she was abducted on October 7, 2023. Her sister, Alexandra, told the BBC that she heard gunshots during Karina's phone call during the attack, and later saw a video showing Karina being put into a car. She also saw a video circulating on Telegram of Karina being abducted. "We recognised her, she had blood on her face and she was screaming."

20-year-old Naama Levy was filmed with her hands tied behind her back, being shoved into a jeep. The video was released by Hamas and widely circulated on social media. According to her mother, the teenager had just started her military service. But she had previously been involved in an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative, and her family described her as a "seeker of peace". In a video of her being abducted from the Nahal Oz army base, she can be heard saying to her captors in English: "I have friends in Palestine."

20-year-old Daniela Gilboa was injured in the leg when she was abducted with other female soldiers in Nahal Oz. She has appeared in several videos, and in one video last year she questioned the Israeli government as to why she was "abandoned" and "forgotten" while the war raged. Ms. Gilboa's mother, Orly, told The Jerusalem Post that the video showed her daughter was "strong and determined."

Liri Albag was just 18 years old and had just started her military training as an army lookout when Hamas attacked the Nahal Oz base on October 7, 2023. Her cousin, Aya Albag, a corporal in the army, said she told her that she was "proud" of her for passing her observation course. Her family says she has managed to pass on messages to them through released hostages. In January 2024, Hamas released a video of Albag in which she could be heard saying her "whole life has been put on hold".

The first hostages to be released under the latest ceasefire agreement on January 19 were Romy Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari. Romy Gonen was captured while trying to flee the Nova music festival, which was attacked by armed groups on October 7, 2023. Doron Steinbrecher was abducted from her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, near the north-western border with Gaza, when Hamas attacked. Emily Damari was shot in the hand during the attack and taken into Gaza, and her dog was also shot. In photos after her release, Emily's hand was bandaged and she was missing two fingers.

Before the ceasefire, Israel said 94 hostages were still unaccounted for, but believed that only 60 were still alive. In the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, 26 Israeli hostages were to be handed over. Israel said that eight of them were already dead, citing a list provided by Hamas that provided information on the hostages' conditions.