Tel Aviv: Israel confirmed receiving the names of four female soldiers held hostage by Hamas following the October 7 attack, who are set to be returned as part of the ongoing ceasefire deal, CNN reported.
Hamas said earlier that it intends to release Karina Ariev (20), Daniella Gilboa (20), Naama Levy (20) and Liri Albag (19).
Israeli officials told the families of the four women that they intended to move forward with the release – despite the fact that Israel had previously expected Arbel Yehud, a female civilian hostage still held in Gaza, to be included in Saturday’s release.
Israel had demanded that Hamas release Yehud, a 29-year-old who was taken hostage from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, as part of the next release, a source familiar with the matter said. Yehud is believed to be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not Hamas, which could be a factor in the timing of her release, according to CNN.
It was not initially clear on Friday whether Israel would accept the list as provided by Hamas, given Yehud’s absence from it. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a situational assessment over the phone with his defence minister and the heads of the country’s negotiation team, the report said citing an an official.
Later in the day, the families were notified Israel intended for the release to go ahead.
The four women slated for release were among seven soldiers kidnapped from the Nahal Oz military base, where they served as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military lookouts, observing activity inside the Gaza Strip.
The remaining five were not released as part of an earlier, short-lived ceasefire deal in 2023, despite the agreement calling for the release of all women and children held captive. The fifth soldier who is still held in Gaza is Agam Berger. She is not included on the list for release on Saturday, but she is among the 33 hostages the Israeli government named as set for release during the first phase of the ceasefire that went into effect Sunday morning.
Several videos showing the kidnapping of these women soldiers became symbolic of the brutality of the Hamas attack of October 7. One piece of footage showed them lined up against a wall, their hands bound, their bodies bruised and bloodied. The video was released by the women’s families in May to put pressure on the Israeli government to secure a deal to have them freed. The IDF admitted at that time that it had failed to defend its personnel at the Nahal Oz base, CNN reported.
Hamas and its allies still hold 91 people taken from Israel on October 7, 2023. There are also three additional hostages who were held captive since 2014 who are still in Gaza. In total, 251 people were taken from Israel on October 7, 2023.
Under the terms of the deal, Israeli troops will withdraw from some parts of Gaza and the amount of humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza will be increased. (With Inputs from ANI)
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