The families of Israeli hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag have received news that their daughters, who have been held in Gaza for 475 days, are set to be freed on Saturday in the second round of hostage releases. Hamas disclosed the names of the four women, all of whom are members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), on Friday, with the media asked to withhold their identities until their families were informed.
While the release of another four hostages is a positive development in the ongoing ceasefire, it may potentially breach the agreement as female civilians were supposed to be released before female soldiers, followed by elderly and wounded men. Among the 30 individuals Hamas has agreed to release in the initial phase of the ceasefire after the recent release of three women, two others were female civilians, Arbel Yehud and Shiri Bibas, along with her two sons, Kfir and Ariel.
Israel had urged Hamas to release Yehud promptly due to concerns that she might be held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group rather than Hamas. The fate of the Bibas family has been a subject of global interest. Hamas alleged in November 2023 that Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel were killed in an Israeli airstrike, a claim refuted by Israel citing lack of evidence.
Israeli authorities have not confirmed the deaths of Shiri and her sons, fueling hopes for a reunion with Yaren Bibas, Shiri's husband and father of the two boys, who was separated from his family during their abduction on October 7, 2023. Yaren Bibas is also scheduled for release in the initial phase of the ceasefire.
