CAIRO — A prominent figure within Hamas has announced that the militant organization is set to free six living Israeli hostages on Saturday.
This release marks the final group of living hostages to be liberated as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Initially, there were expectations that three hostages would be freed on the same day.
As negotiations continue, the two conflicting parties have yet to address the second phase, which poses more challenges.
In this next stage, Hamas is anticipated to release a greater number of hostages in exchange for a sustained ceasefire and a withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Khalil al-Hayya, a leader of Hamas, conveyed this information in remarks recorded earlier on Tuesday.
These hostage releases are occurring alongside the return of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israeli authorities.
The situation remains tense, as both sides work to navigate the complexities of the ongoing conflict and the terms of future agreements.
