Relatives of hostages still held by militants in Gaza called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to ensure that all remaining captives are freed.
As a fragile six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas enters its sixth day, Israelis anxiously await the names of the next four hostages to be released from among the more than 90 people still held in Gaza.
Israel estimates that about a third, or perhaps as many as half, of the more than 90 hostages still in Gaza are dead. Hamas has not released official information on the number of captives still alive or the names of those who died.
In the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, 33 hostages are to be gradually released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The first three Israeli hostages were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, the first day of the ceasefire that interrupted the war that had raged for 15 months in Gaza. More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and large swaths of the territory have been destroyed.
According to the agreement, Hamas is to announce on Friday the names of the next four hostages who will be released on Saturday, after which Israel will also publish a list of Palestinian prisoners who will be freed.
The hostages are among around 250 men, women and children captured by militants who stormed the border with Israel on October 7, 2023, also killing around 1,200 people in an attack that sparked the Gaza war.
Around 100 hostages were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023, while the bodies of around 30 hostages were found in Gaza and eight hostages were rescued by the army.
-“I call on the prime minister (Netanyahu) and the negotiating team – you are doing an excellent job – to do whatever is necessary to bring back everyone, down to the last hostage,” said Ayelet Samerano, whose son Yonatan Samerano is among those still detained in Gaza.
“We ask you to ensure that the second phase of the agreement is approved before completing the current phase. We cannot continue to live in uncertainty. All the hostages must return, and none of them has time to waste.”
The 33 people released in the first phase will include women, children, the sick and people over 50 – almost all civilians, although the deal also commits Hamas to releasing any female soldiers still alive during the first phase. of the first phase.
Hamas will release live hostages first, but may release some bodies if it does not have enough live hostages in that category. Male soldiers should not be released in the first phase.
Under the terms of the agreement, Palestinians in Gaza will have greater freedom of movement from the north to the south of the enclave.
Southern civilians will be allowed to use a coastal route into northern Gaza starting Saturday, when Israeli troops are expected to withdraw from the key route and Hamas is expected to release the next four Israeli hostages.
