Hamas to free four Israeli female soldiers in second prisoner swap

Hamas announced on Friday that it would release four Israeli female soldiers in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, marking the second swap under the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza.

The soldiers set to be released are Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Danielle Gilboa, and Naama Levy, according to a brief statement from Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed receiving the list from mediators but stated that Israel’s response would be issued later.

The exchange is expected to take place on Saturday afternoon and follows the first release under the ceasefire, which occurred on Sunday.

During the initial exchange, three Israeli women and 90 Palestinian prisoners were freed.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement stipulates that for every Israeli female soldier released, 50 Palestinian prisoners will be freed, meaning around 200 Palestinians are expected to be released this weekend in exchange for the four Israeli soldiers.

However, some Israeli media reports indicated that the list did not align with the terms of the ceasefire, with Israel having expected civilians to be included in this latest exchange, rather than exclusively soldiers.

Reports suggested that Israel had hoped civilians would be released first, followed by soldiers, and those who were critically ill.

As of now, Israel has confirmed that 94 Israelis and foreign nationals remain held in Gaza. Since the beginning of the ceasefire, brokered by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the United States, there have been significant prisoner exchanges.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in substantial loss of life, with over 47,000 Palestinians martyred and more than 111,000 wounded since October 7, 2023.

The ceasefire has brought a temporary halt to the fighting, following months of negotiations and continuing discussions about the exchange of remaining captives and Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.