Israel says eight hostages who were supposed to be freed have been killed
According to the Israeli government, eight hostages who were set to be released in the first stage of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas have been killed by Hamas in recent weeks.
The identities of these victims and other surviving hostages have not yet been announced. According to David Mansour, the Israeli government spokesperson, the families of the victims have been informed of their relatives’ deaths.
After intense negotiations, Hamas has provided Israel with a list of hostages they intend to release.
So far, a total of seven hostages have been freed in two stages. Last weekend, Hamas handed over four Israeli female soldiers. In the first stage, it is planned to release 26 more hostages.
On the morning of Monday, January 27, Israel announced that it expects six more hostages to be freed this week following negotiations with Hamas. Accordingly, three are set to be released on Thursday and three more on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the passage for Gaza Strip residents to the north through the Nitzarim crossing has been opened.