Hamas names four hostages it says will be released today

WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

A list of hostages held in Gaza hanging on a wall in Tel Aviv on Jan. 18. Israelis and Palestinians on Friday anxiously awaited the next step in the 42-day Gaza ceasefire. AMIT ELKAYAM — THE NEW YORK TIMES

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By Aaron Boxerman and Patrick Kingsley

The New York Times

JERUSALEM >> Hamas said on Friday that it would release four female soldiers held hostage for over a year in the Gaza Strip, as part of a hostage-for-prisoner swap set to take place today, as Israelis and Palestinians anxiously await the next steps in the ceasefire deal.

In a statement, Hamas identified the four women as Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19. All four were abducted from the military base near Gaza where they served during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that kicked off the war.

Israel said mediators between the two sides had passed along a list of names of hostages slated for release today, without confirming their identities. It remained unclear whether the four named by Hamas would ultimately be released.

Mediators hope that the six-week truce between Israel and Hamas, which began Sunday, could lay the foundation for a permanent end to the war in Gaza. But the coming weekend could prove a crucial test for the agreement.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel would be expected to release around 200 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the four women hostages, including some serving life sentences for involvement in attacks on Israelis.

The truce also stipulated that Israeli forces would have to partly withdraw from a wide zone in central Gaza to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to begin heading back to their homes in the devastated north.

And Hamas has also committed to supplying Israel today with information about the condition of the remaining hostages to be released during the six-week truce, said two Israeli officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomacy.

Israel has long demanded to know which hostages were still alive after more than 15 months in captivity in Gaza. Hamas has refused to provide the information, with some officials arguing that they could not even confirm their status before a truce allowed its fighters to move and communicate freely.

The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that the Israeli authorities said killed roughly 1,200 and saw 250 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent military campaign against Hamas in Gaza killed at least 45,000 people, according to local health officials, whose statistics do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Roughly 94 hostages still remain in Gaza, according to the Israeli authorities.