Hamas names four Israeli captives to be released in latest ceasefire swap
The list submitted by Hamas on Friday was sent to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, according to the statement.
According to a brief statement from Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, soldiers Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Danielle Gilboa, and Naama Levy are scheduled to be released.
The exchange, expected to begin on Saturday afternoon, follows the release on Sunday, the ceasefire’s first day,  , of three Israeli women and 90 Palestinian prisoners, the first such exchange for more than a year.
According to officials, Israel agreed to release 50 Palestinian prisoners for every female soldier released during the first six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire.
That suggests that the four Israelis would receive compensation for the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners this weekend.
However, some reports claimed that Israel had been anticipating the release of some civilians because the list did not comply with the terms of the ceasefire.
According to Hamduh Salut, an Al Jazeera correspondent from Amman, Jordan, “Israel wanted civilians to be released first, then soldiers, then those who were deemed to be extremely ill as part of this deal.”
Israel reported that 94 Israelis and foreigners have been detained in Gaza since the three women’s release on Sunday and the body of an Israeli soldier who has been missing for ten years.
The fighting was put to a stop for the first time since a truce that ended just a week in November 2023, thanks to months of on-off negotiations between Qatar and Egypt and support from the United States.
In exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners imprisoned in Israeli custody, Hamas has agreed to release 33 of its captives in the first phase.
After 15 months of fighting and Israeli bombardments, the two sides will negotiate the release of Gaza’s remaining captives.
Source: Aljazeera
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