Hamas to release three Israeli, five Thai hostages

Israel celebrates as Hamas prepares to free three Israelis and five Thai workers.

Israel has received confirmation that Hamas will release three Israeli and five Thai hostages on Thursday, a significant development in the ongoing hostage crisis.

Israeli sources revealed that the list of those to be freed was delivered by Hamas to mediators ahead of the third batch of expected releases. This release follows an agreement mediated by Qatar, which is part of broader efforts to bring hostages back from Gaza.

The Israeli hostages to be released include Arbel Yehud, a 29-year-old civilian, Agam Berger, a 19-year-old soldier, and 80-year-old civilian Gadi Mozes.

In addition to these three, five Thai nationals who were kidnapped during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, are also set to be freed.

These Thai workers were employed in agriculture in southern Israel at the time of their abduction. However, Israeli officials have not commented on the release of the Thai nationals.

The release is part of a broader process involving hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. As of now, there are still 10 foreign nationals in captivity, including eight Thai citizens, a Nepali, and a Tanzanian, with several presumed dead.

This release is independent of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19, which ended over 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Tensions had risen when Hamas released four female soldiers ahead of schedule, which Israel argued violated the terms of the ceasefire deal.

This led to a temporary dispute, which was resolved through further mediation. As part of the agreement, Yehud, Berger, and another hostage are now set to be released before Saturday, when three more Israeli captives are expected to be freed.

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