Hamas names next hostages to be released

Hamas has released the list of the next group of hostages scheduled to be released on Saturday in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The released hostages include male civilians Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben-Ami, and Or Levy. This hostage exchange is part of a ceasefire agreement aimed at easing regional tensions and fostering a more stable environment.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on January 19, 18 hostages have been released, and Israel has correspondingly released 383 prisoners. Hamas stated that it will also release 183 prisoners on Saturday. According to the agreement, at the end of the first phase of the ceasefire, 33 hostages and 1900 prisoners are expected to be released. However, Israeli officials have stated that eight of the 33 hostages are already dead, adding complexity to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and raising concerns about its future.

The conflict was triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages and the deaths of approximately 1,200 people. The Hamas-controlled health department in Gaza stated that Israel's offensive has led to the deaths of at least 47,500 Palestinians. The United Nations claims that approximately two-thirds of the buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed in Israeli attacks, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis and leaving countless individuals displaced and vulnerable.

One of the released hostages, Eli Sharabi, 52, was kidnapped along with his brother Yossi from Be'eri Kibbutz, and Yossi's death has been confirmed. Eli's British wife, Lianne, and two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed in the attack. Sharabi's brother-in-law, Stephen Brisley from Wales, stated that his safe return "has been the only glimmer of light." He told the BBC: "Eli coming home alive is perhaps the best memorial that there could be for Lianne and the girls, and we are now very close to that."

Another released hostage, Ohad Ben-Ami, 56, was also kidnapped with his wife, Raz, from Be'eri Kibbutz. Raz was later released by Hamas. According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, Ben-Ami, an accountant, "is known for his good judgment and sense of humor." Or Levy, 34, from Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, is a computer programmer. He and his wife, Eynav, fled when gunmen attacked the Nova music festival. Levy was taken hostage, and Eynav's body was found in the bomb shelter where the couple had been hiding.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that authorities have received the list of abductees scheduled for release on Saturday and have notified their families. Previously, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters welcomed the news "regarding the expected release" of three hostages. "Under the current agreement, we will not give up or stop at any stage until all the hostages return home – until the last one – the living are rehabilitated, and the dead are properly buried," the statement said, emphasizing the unwavering commitment to securing the release of all hostages.

Hours before the release of the hostage list, Hamas accused Israel of failing to fulfill its commitment to increase the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement. Salama Marouf, director of the Hamas media office in Gaza, said at a press conference in Gaza City: "The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic due to Israeli obstruction." According to media reports, he said that only 8,500 aid trucks have entered Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, compared to the expected 12,000, and that medical equipment and shelter supplies have been deliberately delayed.

This accusation contradicts the claim of UN humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher. Fletcher said on Thursday that 10,000 trucks loaded with food, medicine and tents had entered Gaza since the start of the ceasefire, which he called a "massive surge". Meanwhile, Yarden Bibas, a 34-year-old Israeli hostage released on Saturday, directly appealed to Netanyahu to bring back his wife and children, who remain in captivity. "Prime Minister Netanyahu, I am speaking to you now in my own words... Bring back my family, bring back my friends, bring everyone home," Bibas said in his first public statement after his release, highlighting the urgency and emotional toll of the situation.

Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Bibas's wife, Shiri, and two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, were killed in an Israeli airstrike but provided no evidence. Israel has not confirmed the report. In a separate incident in central Gaza, hundreds of people – including armed Hamas fighters – attended the funeral on Friday for Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas military commander. Issa was considered one of the planners of the Hamas attack on October 7. The Israeli military had said he was killed in an airstrike last March, but Hamas only confirmed his death last week.

The post-war plan for Gaza announced earlier this week by U.S. President Donald Trump has shocked Gaza. Trump called for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip, relocate its Palestinian population, and turn the area into the "Riviera of the Middle East." His ideas have been strongly condemned by Arab countries and the United Nations, who view them as unrealistic and detrimental to the prospects of a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.