Hamas has agreed to free three Israeli hostages, according to Israel.
#image_title

Hamas has agreed to free three Israeli hostages, according to Israel.


Share this post

Hamas is scheduled to release three Israeli hostages on Thursday, comprising two women and an 80-year-old man, along with five Thai nationals who were taken during the attack on October 7, 2023.

The Hostages Families Forum has reported that it has received confirmation regarding the release of these eight individuals. This forum is a volunteer organization established by the families of the abductees following the incident.

Among those set to be released is Arbel Yehoud, 29, who Israeli officials had anticipated would be freed last weekend as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement, which includes the release of a total of 33 hostages.

The other two Israeli hostages expected to be released are Agam Berger, 20, and Gadi Moses, 80.

Berger was serving as an observer at the Nahal Oz base, having arrived just two days before the attack on October 7. She was taken captive along with several other observers, all of whom have since been released.

Moses resided in kibbutz Nir Oz, where he played a pivotal role as one of the founding members of the kibbutz's vineyard and conducted lectures on agricultural practices. The hostage organization reported that his partner was killed during the attack on October 7.

According to the ceasefire agreement, 30 Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been released in exchange for civilian hostages, while 50 have been released for captive soldiers.

The truce between Israel and Hamas faced significant challenges on Saturday when Israel restricted Palestinian civilians from returning to their homes in northern Gaza. Israeli officials asserted that Hamas had breached the ceasefire agreement by not releasing Yehoud, a civilian, prior to the release of captive soldiers.

Hamas has similarly accused Israel of violating the agreement, raising fears that the ceasefire, which has temporarily halted 15 months of intense conflict in Gaza, may be at risk.

However, on Monday, Qatar, a prominent mediator in the ceasefire discussions, announced that Yehoud would be released along with two other hostages before Friday, alleviating tensions surrounding the agreement.

Yehoud was abducted from her residence in kibbutz Nir Oz, a community founded by her grandparents, alongside her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio, 27. The couple had recently returned to Israel after a trip to South America.

Initially, it was believed that Yehoud's brother, Dolev Yehoud, 25, had also been taken hostage in Gaza. However, in September, Israel confirmed that he had been killed by Hamas on the day of the attacks, and his body had not crossed into Israeli territory.

Cunio and his brother David, aged 34, continue to be held captive in Gaza, with no expectation of their release during the initial phase of the agreement.

The particulars of the second phase of the agreement have not yet been finalized; however, a Middle Eastern official informed NBC News on Monday that discussions for the next round are anticipated to commence in Qatar next week.

On Saturday, three additional captives are expected to be freed in return for a significant number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Many individuals in Israel are optimistic that Kfir Bibas, the youngest hostage still in Hamas' custody, will be among those released.


Share this post
Comments

Be the first to know

Join our community and get notified about upcoming stories

Subscribing...
You've been subscribed!
Something went wrong
H.E.R. Addresses Talk of a Supergroup With SZA & Ella Mai

H.E.R. Addresses Talk of a Supergroup With SZA & Ella Mai

It began, as many music conversations now do, with a single post. On February 19, an X user proposed that SZA, H.E.R., and Ella Mai form a trio called S.H.E., a tidy acronym that seemed almost too fitting to ignore. H.E.R. responded briefly but warmly: “Thank you,” followed by a prayer hands emoji. The other two artists have not addressed the suggestion. The idea quickly evolved in the replies. Some fans imagined adding Ari Lennox to expand the lineup, while others playfully suggested entirely


O A

J. Cole Calls His Past Albums “Side Quests,” Says The Fall-Off Isn’t a Goodbye

J. Cole Calls His Past Albums “Side Quests,” Says The Fall-Off Isn’t a Goodbye

With the release of The Fall-Off, J. Cole has prompted fans to reconsider how his catalog fits together. In a recent installment of his “Trunk Sale” tour vlog, he spoke candidly about where the album sits in the larger arc of his career. The project, he suggested, serves as the culmination of a story he has been telling since his early mixtape days. In that framing, some of his midcareer releases function less as central chapters and more as creative departures. “If you hear the whole progressi


O A

Eric Dane Remembered: How McSteamy, ‘Euphoria’ and His ALS Battle Shaped a Lasting TV Legacy

Eric Dane Remembered: How McSteamy, ‘Euphoria’ and His ALS Battle Shaped a Lasting TV Legacy

Eric Dane, who died at 53 following a battle with ALS, is being remembered not just as Grey’s Anatomy’s charismatic Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan but as a TV presence who evolved from heartthrob to complex, conflicted characters. Tributes from former co‑stars and collaborators describe him as generous on set and highlight the emotional weight he brought to roles like Cal Jacobs on Euphoria, with many recalling his range as the reason his characters stayed with viewers long after an episode ended. F


B P

WILLOW Enters a New Era with Genre‑Bending Project ‘petal rock black’

WILLOW Enters a New Era with Genre‑Bending Project ‘petal rock black’

WILLOW is officially in her petal rock black era, dropping a new project that pushes her even further from her pop‑radio origins and deeper into experimental rock and alt‑soul. Released as a surprise, petal rock black arrives with a moody visual aesthetic and cryptic teases that match the album’s inward‑looking, guitar‑heavy sound. The project builds on the emo, pop‑punk and alt textures of her recent work but layers in heavier, more psychedelic instrumentation, with WILLOW leaning into riff‑dr


B P