Ben Sales reports for JTA.
Hamas has reportedly informed Israel that it will free eight hostages on Thursday, including two Israeli women and an elderly Israeli man.
The Israeli hostages reportedly to be released are civilians Arbel Yehud, 29, and Gadi Moses, 80, as well as soldier Agam Berger, 20. In addition, Hamas will reportedly reportedly free five Thai citizens taken captive during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack whose names were not disclosed.
In exchange, Israel will release a larger number of Palestinian security prisoners.
Israel and Hamas agreed on Thursday’s release—not initially required under the terms of the current ceasefire—to resolve a dispute over Yehud, who is being held by the terror group Islamic Jihad. Israel had expected her to be freed last Saturday. When she was not, the resulting disagreement threatened to derail the ceasefire.
Moses will be the first man, and the oldest hostage, released as part of the current ceasefire, which began on Jan. 19 and is slated to last at least six weeks. The grandfather of 12 was taken captive from his home on Kibbutz Nir Oz. His partner Efrat Katz was later killed.
Hamas is expected to release three more hostages on Saturday. NBC reported recently that among that number could be American hostage Keith Siegel, 65, one of three American hostages thought to be alive. The others are Sagui Dekel-Chen and Edan Alexander. Hamas is also holding the bodies of four other Americans.
Siegel is from North Carolina and was abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Oct. 7. Emily Damari, another captive from Kfar Aza who was freed at the beginning of the truce, reportedly asked Hamas to release Siegel instead of her, but the terror group rejected the request.
After Yehud is released, the only civilian women and children still in captivity will be Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir. Hamas said in November 2023 that the three had been killed. Israel has not confirmed that allegation, but recently, an Israeli military spokesman said there were “grave concerns for their fate.”
In addition to the dozens of Israelis it is holding captive, Hamas is also holding eight Thai citizens hostage. Israeli media reported that five of them are expected to be released on Thursday.
The release will bring the total number of hostages still held in Gaza to 82. Of those, 18 more are expected to go free during the first phase of the hostage deal. Hamas has informed Israel that eight of those 18 hostages are dead, though it has not identified which ones.
