Hamas names four Israeli female soldiers to be released in hostage deal

Hamas announced on Friday the names of four Israeli female soldiers who will be released as part of a prisoner exchange for Palestinian detainees, marking the second swap under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

The individuals identified for release are Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag, with their release scheduled for Saturday, according to the group.

This exchange is anticipated to commence on Saturday afternoon and follows the initial exchange that took place on the first day of the ceasefire last Sunday, which involved the release of three Israeli women and 90 Palestinian prisoners—the first such exchange in over a year.

During the initial six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Israeli officials have indicated that for every female soldier released, 50 Palestinian prisoners will be freed.

This implies that the release of the four soldiers could result in the liberation of approximately 200 Palestinian prisoners.

Following the release of the three women on Sunday and the recovery of the remains of an Israeli soldier who had been missing for a decade, Israel has reported that 94 Israelis and foreign nationals continue to be held in Gaza.

The ceasefire agreement, which was established after extensive negotiations facilitated by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the United States, has successfully halted hostilities for the first time since a brief truce in November 2023.

In this initial phase, Hamas has committed to releasing 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners currently incarcerated in Israeli facilities.