Hamas names three more Israeli captives to be freed in Gaza ceasefire swap

Israel and Hamas volition transportation retired their fourth prisoners-for-captives swap of the Gaza ceasefire connected Saturday with the Palestinian radical acceptable to escaped 3 Israeli captives successful speech for 90 Palestinian prisoners successful Israeli jails.

In a connection connected Telegram connected Friday, the equipped helping of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, named the 3 captives arsenic Israeli-French national Ofer Kalderon, Israeli national Yarden Bibas and Israeli-American Keith Siegel.

Bibas, 34, is the begetter of Kfir, who was 9 months aged erstwhile the household was taken by Hamas successful October 2023, and Ariel, who was 4 astatine the time.

There has been nary Israeli confirmation connected the fates of Kfir, Ariel oregon their mother, Shiri.

But Hamas said successful precocious 2023 that the children and their parent were killed by an Israeli bombardment successful the aboriginal months of the Gaza war.

Siegel, presently successful his 50s, was taken captive with his wife, Aviva, who was released by Hamas successful the archetypal captives-for-prisoners speech successful November 2023.

Kalderon, besides successful his 50s, was abducted by Hamas with his 2 children, Erez and Sahar. The children were besides released successful that archetypal exchange.

Al Jazeera’s Laura Khan, reporting from Amman, Jordan, due to the fact that Al Jazeera has been banned from operating successful Israel, said the Israeli premier minister’s bureau said it has received and accepted the list.

She said Bibas’s merchandise is going to beryllium viewed arsenic peculiarly symbolic and important successful Israel.

“He’s absorbing for 2 reasons. One is that determination was a sticking constituent betwixt Israel and Hamas successful these negotiations, and that was whether to merchandise men nether 50. At first, Hamas didn’t privation to bash that. They wanted to merchandise civilians, women and younker first, but past they decided to [yield] to that point,” she said.

She said the 2nd crushed was that Israelis had expected Bibas, arsenic good arsenic Siegel and Kalderon, to beryllium released earlier arsenic portion of the archetypal signifier of the ceasefire, which took effect connected January 19.

“However, they haven’t yet been released, and Israeli forces person said successful the past that they are acrophobic astir their wellbeing,” Khan said.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Media Office said 90 Palestinian prisoners, including 9 serving beingness sentences and 81 serving semipermanent sentences, are to beryllium released connected Saturday arsenic portion of the swap.

Under the presumption of the Gaza ceasefire, 33 captives held by Hamas successful Gaza are to beryllium freed successful the archetypal six weeks of the truce successful speech for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, galore of whom person been serving beingness sentences successful Israel.

So far, 15 captives held successful Gaza, including 5 Thai workers, and 400 Palestinian prisoners person been exchanged.

On Thursday, Hamas released 3 Israelis and 5 Thai captives and Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners aft delaying the process aft crowds swarmed 1 of the captive handover points.

Reporting from al-Rashid Street successful Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said that for galore Palestinians successful Gaza, the instrumentality of the Palestinian detainees is simply a “deeply symbolic victory” that represents resilience.

But helium said galore radical were shocked by the chaotic scenes astir the merchandise of Israeli captives connected Thursday.

“This includes the merchandise of Arbel Yehud, which was criticised arsenic wholly disorganised and lacking the dignity expected during specified delicate moments,” helium said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn disapproval successful his state for not having sealed a captive-prisoner woody earlier successful the warfare aft the information nonaccomplishment that enabled Hamas-led fighters to burst crossed the Gaza-Israel bound and tempest adjacent Israeli communities.

But determination has besides been absorption to the current deal, which immoderate critics successful Israel person said leaves the destiny of astir of the captives successful the equilibrium and Hamas inactive lasting arsenic Gaza’s ascendant entity.

At slightest 1,139 radical were killed and much than 200 were abducted successful the Hamas-led attacks successful Israel connected October 7, 2023. Israel’s subject effect has killed much than 47,000 Palestinian radical successful Gaza, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health.

About fractional the captives were released successful November 2023 during the lone erstwhile truce, and others person been recovered dormant oregon live during Israel’s subject run successful Gaza.

More talks connected the implementation of the second stage of the existent truce, owed to statesman connected March 1, are meant to unfastened the mode to the merchandise of much than 60 different captives, including men of subject property and a afloat Israeli subject withdrawal from Gaza.

If that succeeds, a ceremonial extremity to Israel’s warfare successful Gaza could travel on with talks connected the mammoth situation of reconstructing the Palestinian enclave.