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The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday confirmed receiving a second list of hostages set to be released by Hamas tomorrow, provided by mediators, according to a report by Times of Israel.
A formal statement from the Israeli government on the list is expected later. Meanwhile, The Times of Israel reported that the list of names published by Hamas of the female hostages that the terror group is set to release tomorrow is in apparent violation of the ceasefire agreement. According to the agreement, female civilian hostages are to be released first, followed by female soldiers. On the first day of the truce, January 19, civilians Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher were freed. Earlier on Sunday the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had confirmed that Hamas released the first three hostages as part of the ceasefire framework . The hostages were returned to Israeli territory after 471 days in Gaza. The IDF had shared a photo of the hostages, captioned, "They're home," as they were transferred to a reception point in southern Israel for an initial medical assessment. That marked the official start of the first phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal, which was delayed shortly before implementation due to concerns about Hamas' commitment to providing a list of hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had emphasised that any violations would "not be tolerated." sraeli President Isaac Herzog expressed national joy, saying, "An entire nation rejoices at your return." Herzog acknowledged the painful journey ahead for those still waiting for their loved ones to come home and vowed that Israel would continue efforts to bring all hostages back. On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked southern Israel killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting over 200 others. Over 46,000 Palestinians have been also killed in Gaza in Israel's counter-offensive against Hamas. Earlier, over 100 hostages were freed during the weeklong ceasefire in November 2023. (ANI)
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