Hamas and Israeli officials confirmed six hostages will be released on Saturday alongside the bodies of four deceased individuals, with further exchanges planned under the fragile ceasefire agreement. The hostages include Eliya Cohen, 27; Tal Shoham, 40; Omer Shem Tov, 22; Omer Wenkrat, 23; Hisham Al-Sayed, 36; and Avera Mengistu, 39, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Hamas accused Israel of delaying efforts to advance negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire.
Israel is procrastinating and evading its commitments,a Hamas spokesperson stated. Tensions flared last week when Hamas threatened to halt releases, citing Israeli restrictions on aid and displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza.
Protests erupted near Tel Aviv as families marked 500 days of captivity for remaining hostages. Meanwhile, Palestinians in Jabalia are rebuilding amid rubble, as seen in recent footage from Gaza.
Last Saturday’s exchange freed U.S. citizen Sagui Dekel Chen and two others, prompting Israel to release 369 Palestinian prisoners. Ceasefire terms remain precarious, with Hamas demanding accelerated aid and Israel prioritizing hostage returns.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark deadline last week, urging Hamas to release all captives or risk renewed conflict. With northern Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsening, international pressure mounts to stabilize the truce.
