Hamas has announced that four hostages will be released on Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The hostages are Israeli soldiers Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag. In exchange for their release, 180 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel will be freed. This marks the second such exchange since the ceasefire began on Sunday.
The first swap saw three hostages and 90 prisoners released. The ceasefire halted the conflict that started with Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the deaths of around 1,200 people and the capture of 251 hostages. Gaza's health ministry reports that over 47,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive.
There had been initial expectations that a female Israeli civilian, Arbel Yehud, would be included in the release, but she is not listed. Reports suggest she may be held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a separate group. Hamas is also expected to provide updates on the remaining 26 hostages due to be freed in the coming weeks, including the Bibas family, which includes two parents and two children, one of whom, Kfir, was only 10 months old when taken.
The next release will involve prisoners deemed more serious, some of whom have been serving sentences of over 15 years. However, Israel has made it clear that individuals directly involved in the October 7 attacks will not be freed.
Meanwhile: On Friday, two U.S. military planes carrying dozens of expelled migrants arrived in Guatemala, though authorities did not confirm whether the flights were part of the deportation operation initiated by President Donald Trump.
The first flight, which landed around midnight, brought 79 Guatemalan nationals — 48 men and 31 women, according to the country’s migration institute. The second flight, which arrived Friday morning, carried an undisclosed number of migrants.
Late Thursday, the White House announced that 538 “illegal immigrant criminals” were arrested, and hundreds had been deported via military aircraft. They called it "the largest massive deportation operation in history," signalling the operation was in full swing. Continue reading here.....
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