After repeatedly violating the truce deal with Israel, Hamas will release three additional hostages this week, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced Sunday night.
On Thursday, civilian Arbel Yehud, IDF soldier Agam Berger and another captive will be redeemed from the Gaza Strip.
Three more abductees will be freed on Saturday, in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
In parallel, Israel has received from Hamas a list that includes the status of all of the hostages due to be released in the first stage of the deal.
Hamas had failed to provide the list as required on Saturday, prompting Jerusalem to postpone the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza. On Sunday, thousands of Gazans were waiting on the main roads leading north. On Monday, Israel allowed them to begin passing into the northern Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday night that Jerusalem “will not tolerate any violation of the agreement. We will continue to act for the return of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas was supposed to free female civilian hostages before female soldiers. Instead, the Palestinian terror group released four female IDF soldiers on Saturday: Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19.
Yehud is reportedly being held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group. PIJ has falsely classified Yehud as an IDF soldier, according to reports.
Yehud was taken hostage with her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas-led massacre. Cunio, 27, is presumed to be alive but is not listed among those to be released in the first phase of the agreement. The only men expected to be freed in the first phase are those ill, wounded or aged 50 and above.
Shiri Bibas, 33, another female civilian hostage, and her two young sons are on the list of the 33 hostages to be released in the coming weeks. Hamas, however, claimed in November that they were killed.
Three civilian women—Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher—were released last Sunday in return for 90 terrorists (30 for each civilian) shortly after the ceasefire went into effect.