Israel expects the Palestinian Hamas movement to provide a list of three hostages to be released on Saturday, The Jerusalem Post reported Friday, citing an Israeli official.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is expected to send the list to David Barney, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the source said. If the hostages are released over the weekend, the crisis threatening the ceasefire will be resolved, the newspaper reported.
Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, announced on February 10 that it had postponed the release of the next group of hostages scheduled for February 15. The movement said Israel had violated the agreement by “delaying the return of displaced persons from the southern enclave to the north, opening fire on civilians in Gaza and failing to ensure the delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on February 11 of renewed military action in Gaza if Hamas did not release Israeli hostages by noon on February 15.
Hamas confirmed on February 13 that it would abide by the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including a timely exchange of hostages.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on January 15 that, thanks to mediation by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held in the enclave. The agreement, which includes three phases, entered into force on January 19. During the 42-day first phase of the deal, Hamas is to release 33 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The final phase of the hostage release took place on February 8; three Israelis returned home from Gaza, one of whom has German citizenship. In return, Israel released more than 180 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel is set to release 369 Palestinian prisoners tomorrow, as part of the sixth batch of the first phase of the ongoing prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, Palestinian sources said.
The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office, affiliated with the Hamas movement, said the group of people to be released would include 36 prisoners serving life sentences and 333 detainees from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after October 7, 2023.
