The Hostages Families Forum expressed joy as three male hostages are set to be released on Saturday as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The hostages, Yarden Bibas, 35, Keith Siegel, 65, and Ofer Kalderon, 54, will be part of the fourth round of exchanges under the ceasefire deal.
Israeli officials have confirmed that around 80 hostages remain in Gaza, with 33 set to be released in the initial phase of the agreement. The recent release of eight hostages by Hamas in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners highlighted the delicate nature of the truce.
Details of Hostages
Yarden Bibas, taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was captured along with his wife and two young children. Keith Siegel, an American Israeli, was taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, while Ofer Kalderon, a French-Israeli, was captured from Kibbutz Nir Oz with his ex-wife and children.
Concerns remain about the fate of the hostages' family members still held captive. Hamas claims that some family members were killed in Israeli airstrikes, but these claims have not been verified by Israel.
Israeli Strikes in Lebanon
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, two people were killed and 10 others wounded in an Israeli strike on an unofficial border crossing in eastern Lebanon. The Israeli military targeted a site used by Hezbollah in the Bekaa Valley, accusing the group of violating the ceasefire agreement by launching a reconnaissance drone towards Israel.
Hezbollah condemned the strikes as a dangerous violation and called on the Lebanese government to take immediate action. The group, historically supported by Iran, has faced challenges in its supply routes due to the conflict in Syria.
