Hamas to free four Israeli female soldiers as negotiations on Gaza ceasefire continue

On Saturday, January 25, the Palestinian Hamas movement will release four female soldiers who had been serving in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and were held hostage in the Gaza Strip.

Abu Ubaida, a spokesperson for Hamas’ military wing, the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, announced the release via his Telegram channel, Caliber.Az reports referencing international media.

“As part of the exchange agreement with Israel, we decided to release soldiers Karina Ariyev, Daniela Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albagh on January 25,” Abu Ubaida stated.

Discussions for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza are set to begin in two weeks, as confirmed by Zaher Jabarin, head of the Hamas cell in the West Bank, on January 23. The negotiations will address three main points: the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the establishment of a permanent ceasefire, and the exchange of all hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Jabarin emphasized that Hamas insists that all stages of the agreement be interconnected.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, also expressed support for beginning negotiations on the second phase of the agreement as soon as possible. He mentioned plans to discuss the issue with David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad, later in the week.

According to Axios, senior officials from Israel, the U.S., and Qatar anticipate that the upcoming phase of talks will be highly challenging, with complex decisions needed from both Israel and Hamas. Steven Whitkoff, former special envoy to the Middle East under President Trump, is also expected to arrive in the region to facilitate these discussions. An Israeli official noted that Israel’s primary demand in the negotiations will be that Hamas will not be allowed to govern Gaza in the future.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect on January 19. On the same evening, Palestinian factions released the first group of three hostages, while Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners.

Earlier, on January 15, Qatar's Prime Minister announced that through mediation by Doha, Cairo, and Washington, Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement to release hostages and enforce a ceasefire. In the first phase, which is set to last 42 days, Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

By Tamilla Hasanova