Israel receives names of hostages to be released next by Hamas

Israel has received the names of the next batch of hostages to be released by Hamas militants in the next exchange. 

The names were given to Israel through the mediator parties Egypt and Qatar, Caliber.Az reports citing Israeli media.

According to their report, three Israeli citizens are set to be released by Hamas on January 30: Civilians Arbel Yehoud, 29 and Gadi Moshe Mozes, 80, as well as IDF soldier Agam Berger, 19. 

In addition to the Israeli hostages, five Thai hostages will also be freed by Hamas. There are a total of eight Thai hostages still in Gaza, along with one Nepalese and a Tanzanian. However, two of the Thai citizens as well as the Tanzanian citizen have been declared dead by Hamas. 

The ceasefire agreement reached by Hamas and Israel stipulated that the militant group first release all female and juvenile civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. However, Israel accused Hamas of breaching the agreement when they released four Israeli female soldiers in the last swap but failed to release Arbel Yehoud. She is believed to be kept in Gaza not by Hamas militants but an Islamistic jihadist group.

Another female civilian, Shiri Bibas-Silvermann is also still held in Gaza, together with her two young children, Ariel, 5, and Kfir, 2, which are the youngest hostages. They are also believed to have been kept hostages by an Islamistic group but Hamas has previously declared them dead. Israeli officials have expressed grave concern for their well-being. Her husband and father of the children, Yarden, is also a hostage in Gaza. 

By Nazrin Sadigova