what we know about the new release of Israeli hostages planned for this Saturday

Israeli hostages, held by Hamas since October 7, 2023, will be released this Saturday, according to the terms of the agreement signed between the Hebrew state and the Islamist movement.

A new release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas against Palestinian prisoners must take place from this Saturday, January 25. As part of the ceasefire between the Islamist movement and the Jewish state, this will be the second exchange of this nature.

The first took place this weekend. Three Israeli women, Romi Gonen, Emily Demari and Doron Steinbrecher, were released by Hamas and joined Israel. In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners left Israeli prisons.

The first phase of the truce, which should last six weeks, is supposed to allow the release of 33 hostages held in Gaza against Palestinian prisoners held by the Jewish state. In return, Israeli authorities said they would release around 1,900 Palestinians within this time frame.

• Lists transmitted to both camps

This Friday afternoon, Hamas must transmit the names of the four women who will be released. The agreement between the Jewish state and Hamas provides for women to be released before men. This Friday, the Islamist movement must also indicate the state of health of thirty other hostages who can be released as part of the first phase of the ceasefire.

For now, uncertainty remains surrounding the fate of the majority of people held by Hamas for more than 15 months.

“We have not yet received any confirmation that Eli is alive, but I want to remain optimistic and pray that we see him soon on his feet,” Sharon Sharabi, to our colleagues at AFP, said on the subject. of his brother, hostage.

It is possible that information on the state of health of the two Franco-Israelis still in the hands of Hamas, Ohad Yahalomi, 50 years old and Ofer Kalderon, 54 years old, will be disclosed. This Friday, Emmanuel Macron announced that their names are among the 33 hostages who must be released by Hamas. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot declared on BFMTV this Monday that France had “no news” of its two nationals.

For its part, Israel must transmit the list of prisoners who can be released. For the moment, their identities have not been officially filtered. According to the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, “at least 120 prisoners should be released.”

• The hostages will be transferred to an Israeli hospital

This Saturday, the release of Hamas captives must be organized in the same way as the first. The four women will be handed over to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip. Images of the release of the first three hostages this Saturday showed a large crowd gathered around the Hamas and Red Cross vehicles in which the three Israeli women were traveling.

“Having to pass through dense crowds, in a situation where emotions are at their peak, complicated transfers,” the Red Cross indicated at the end of the operation.

Then, the four hostages will be transferred to an Israeli hospital by helicopter. Three hostage reception points have been set up on the border with Gaza. A little later, in the early evening, Palestinian prisoners will be released.

• 33 hostages released by the end of February

The next hostage releases are scheduled to take place on February 1, 8, 15 and 22. Each time, three hostages will be returned to Israel. 14 other hostages will be released during the last week of the first phase of the ceasefire, at the end of February. As of this date, 33 people held by Hamas should have found their freedom.

In the meantime, new negotiations must begin regarding the other hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to the IDF, 91 people kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 are still in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the Israeli army.