Hamas

The Palestinian militant group made public on Friday the names of the next four hostages that it plans to release as part of the ceasefire deal signed with Israel. Israel is expected to publish a list of its own, naming Palestinian prisoners it will release in return.

Lt Gen Herzi Halevi said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would complete an investigation into the 2023 attack by Hamas before he steps down in March.

According to a list provided by the Palestinian Authority’s Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs all of those released are women or minors.

Hamas blamed the delay in handing over the names on “technical field reasons.” It said in a statement that it is committed to the ceasefire deal announced last week.

Netanyahu’s statement clears the way for Israeli approval of the deal, which would pause the fighting in Gaza and see dozens of hostages held by militants in the Strip released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Under the deal reached Wednesday, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, according to reports.

At least 17 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Israeli airstrikes on the enclave continue as Israel and Hamas appear to narrow in on a ceasefire deal.

According to a report by Gaza’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the Israel-Hamas war has left hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed or partially damaged, while some 82,000 are deemed entirely uninhabitable.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar.

Roughly 100 Israeli hostages were taken into Gaza when Hamas militants launched an attack on southern Israel on 7th October 2023.