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Hamas will release 14 Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 42 Palestinian prisoners Saturday as part of an ongoing swap during a four-day cease-fire, according to a senior Egyptian official.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to talk about details of the ongoing negotiations, said that mediators Egypt and Qatar have given Israel a list of those hostages to be released provided by Hamas. A second official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the details.
The upcoming swap on day two of the cease-fire follows Hamas' release Friday of 24 of the approximately 240 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war. In exchange Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison.
Those freed from captivity in Gaza were 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and a citizen of the Philippines.
It was not immediately clear if any non-Israeli captives may also be released Saturday.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire in the war in Gaza a breakthrough that will facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, and bring a large influx of aid to the besieged territory, officials said on Wednesday.
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The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the war, which was triggered by Hamas' October 7 rampage into Israel. Now in its seventh week, the war has levelled vast swaths of Gaza, fuelled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank, and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East.
Still, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume the war after the truce and keep fighting until we achieve all our goals, including the destruction of Hamas' fighting and governing abilities and the return of all hostages.
The cease-fire temporarily freezes both sides in the war in place at a tenuous moment. Israeli troops hold much of northern Gaza and say they have dismantled tunnels and much of Hamas' infrastructure there. But Israeli officials acknowledge the group's infrastructure remains intact elsewhere. In recent days before the truce, Israel underlined that it was determined to take its ground offensive into the south.
Israel said the truce would be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed by Hamas. Hamas said hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid including fuel would be allowed to enter Gaza.
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