Hamas has announced the release of four Israeli female soldiers as part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange agreement.
Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that as part of the Al-Aqsa Flood agreement, four Israeli female soldiers would be released on Saturday.
In a statement on Telegram, Abu Obeida named the captives as Karina Arif, Daniel Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Elbag. This release forms part of the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
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Typically, Hamas does not disclose in advance when Israeli captives will be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which subsequently transfers them to the Israeli side.
However, a source indicated that the transfer would likely occur Saturday afternoon.
A Palestinian source close to Hamas stated that this process would resemble the handovers conducted last Sunday and during the previous truce in late November 2023.
According to the source, “the Qassam Brigades and other resistance factions will release the four prisoners on Saturday, ahead of the agreed time.”
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“The ICRC will be notified of the specific time and location for the handover, following the established protocol,” the source added.
Under the terms of the agreement, Israel is expected to release approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees during the first phase of the deal, which spans 42 days, in exchange for 33 Israeli captives identified in a list provided by Hamas.
Israel believes that 25 of these captives are alive. On the first day of the ceasefire last Sunday, three of the living detainees were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, primarily from the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
The current ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began last Sunday. The initial phase includes ongoing negotiations for subsequent stages.
(PC, AJA)
