While a six-week fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is in its sixth day, the Israelis anxiously await the names of the next four hostages which will be released from the more than 90 people still detained in Gaza.
Israel estimates that around a third, or perhaps up to half, more than 90 hostages still in Gaza are dead. Hamas has not published 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 must 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, on the first day of the ceasefire which interrupted the war that had been raging for 15 months in Gaza. More than 47,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and large sections of the territory were destroyed.
According to the agreement, Hamas must announce the names of the next four hostages which will be released on Saturday, after which Israel will also publish a list of Palestinian prisoners who will be released.
The hostages are among the 250 men, women and children captured by activists who broke into the border with Israel on October 7, 2023, also killing around 1,200 people in an attack that triggered the war in Gaza.
A hundred hostages were released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023, while the bodies of around thirty hostages were found in Gaza and eight hostages were rescued by the army.
-“I call the Prime Minister (Netanyahu) and the negotiation team – you are doing an excellent job – to do everything you need to bring everyone back, to the last hostage,” said Ayelet Samerano, whose Son Yonatan Samerano is one of the people 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 hostages must come back, and none of them has time to waste. ”
The 33 people released during the first phase will include women, children, patients and people over 50 – almost all civilians, even if the agreement also undertakes Hamas to release all soldiers still alive during of the first phase.
Hamas will first release living hostages, but could release certain bodies if it does not have enough living hostages in this category. Men’s soldiers should not be released in the first phase.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Palestinians of Gaza will have greater freedom of movement from north to south of the enclave.
Southern civilians will be allowed to take a coastal road north of Gaza from Saturday, when Israeli troops should withdraw from this key route and to which Hamas should release the next four Israeli hostages.
