Hamas has released the names of three Israeli hostages it says it will release on Saturday in the fifth such swap of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
The hostages are Eli Sharabi, Ohad ben Ami and Or Levy, Hamas armed wing spokesperson Abu Obeida said in a Telegram post.
In return for the captives’ release, Hamas said it expects 183 Palestinian prisoners to be released.
Both Mr Ami and Mr Sharabi were taken from Kibbutz Be’eri during the 7 October attack. The cross-border attack saw around 1,200 Israelis killed and around 250 people taken hostage.
Mr Levy was abducted from the Nova music festival.
Of the Palestinian prisoners being freed, 18 have been serving life sentences, 54 were serving long sentences and the vast majority, 111, were detained in the Gaza Strip during the war.
Mr Sharabi’s wife Lianne Sharabi was born in Bristol.
According to a statement from his lawyer, she, along with their children, 16-year-old Noiya and 13-year-old Yahel, were killed in the 7 October attack.
His brother was also said to have died while a hostage.
In a statement after news he would be released was announced, Mr Sharabi’s lawyer said: “The Sharabi family has already lost too much,”.
It added: “It is long past time to bring Eli home.”
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Row over aid access
Earlier on Friday, Hamas accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire accord and held off announcing the names of the Israeli hostages until the deadline had passed.
The militant group claimed Israel delayed the entry of hundreds of trucks carrying food and other humanitarian supplies and held back all but a fraction of the tents and mobile homes needed to provide people shelter in the devastated enclave.
“This demonstrates clear manipulation of relief and shelter priorities,” Hamas said in a statement.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that is overseeing the aid deliveries into Gaza, denied the accusation.
It added Israel would “not tolerate violations by Hamas”.
The claims and counter-claims highlight the fragility and uncertainty of the ceasefire.
This is only heightened by US President Donald Trump recently saying the US could take over Gaza and move the Palestinian population out.
Israel has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, and displaced the majority of the strip’s population.
Phase one
So far, 13 hostages of the 33 older men, women and children set to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire have returned to Israel.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees have been released in exchange, often returning to large crowds.
Five Thai hostages have also been released.
Work on the second stage of the agreement, aimed at the release of around 60 male hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, has begun.
An Israeli negotiating team was expected to fly to Doha on Saturday, according to media reports.
