Hamas announces the release of 4 Israeli soldiers

The armed wing of Hamas has released the names of four Israeli “female soldiers”. which it intends to release tomorrow as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement; Israel shortly thereafter confirmed that it had received the list. “As part of the agreement of exchange of prisoners the (Ezzedine) al-Qassam Brigades have decided to release four female soldiers tomorrow,” Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the group’s armed wing, said on Telegram.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed it had received the names through mediators. A statement from the Israeli government is also expected, according to the Times of Israel, on the list of hostages to be released.

Who are the 4 Israeli soldiers

The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, confirmed that the next four hostages in Gaza to be released on Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement in the enclave are four female soldiers: Liri Albag, 19; Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; and Naama Levy, 20. The fifth remaining in the Gaza Strip, Agam Berger, will not be released for the time being.

The women to be released were stationed as observers at the Nahal Oz military base along the Israel-Gaza border on October 7, 2023, the day Palestinian militants led by Hamas crossed the border, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others .

The Nahal Oz observation base, just one kilometer from Gaza, was one of the first points attacked by Islamists on October 7: 66 soldiers were killed, including 15 observers, and another six were kidnapped. The task of these soldiers was to monitor suspicious movements of militiamen along the border, to ensure the safety of nearby communities and cities.

According to what some of their relatives reported, these soldiers had said that in the months preceding the attack they had identified training, fake kidnappings and military exercises by Hamas militants and other groups inside Gaza.

That October 7th was the second day spent at the base for one of the four soldiers who should be free tomorrow, Liri Albag.

Media, Hamas violated the plan but Israel accepts the list

Israel has informed mediators that the list of four women taken hostage, published this evening by Hamas, violates the terms of the agreement, which requires the terrorist group to release all living civilians before releasing female soldiers, Channel 12 reports.

Hamas informed the mediators that stay true to the agreement and that there were simply technical complications that led to non-compliance.Arbel Yehud, one of the last female civilian hostages who are believed to still be alive, is held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not from Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with his security officials and ultimately decided to go ahead with the list that Hamas provided, despite the breach. The meeting participants agreed that although Hamas violated the agreement, it was not serious enough to blow up the entire deal.