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Hamas names Israeli hostages to be freed, in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners

Hamas released a video of hostage Yarden Bibas. (Supplied: Telegram)

In short:

Hamas has named the next three Israeli hostages to be released, in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.

Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Kalderon will be handed over on Saturday, a Hamas spokesperson said.

What's next?

Under the ceasefire deal that halted more than 15 months of fighting, 33 hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza are to be freed in the first six weeks of the truce.

Hamas has confirmed it would free three more Israeli hostages seized in its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel in the next exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Yarden Bibas, dual US citizen Keith Siegel and dual French citizen Ofer Kalderon will be handed over on Saturday, Hamas armed wing spokesperson Abu Obeida said in a post on his Telegram channel.

Israel is to free 90 inmates on Saturday in exchange for three Israeli hostages, a Palestinian advocacy group said.

Hamas said they were dead, but many Israelis don't believe them

Photo shows A woman, with a panicked expression on her face, holds two children.

Hamas names Israeli hostages to be freed, in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners

A video of Shiri Bibas and her two young children being kidnapped on October 7 made headlines around the world. Hamas says they've been killed, but many Israeli's don't believe them, and the tragic mystery will likely soon be solved.

"Ninety prisoners will be released tomorrow in exchange for the three Israeli detainees, nine of whom are serving life sentences and 81 of whom have long sentences," Palestinian Prisoners' Club spokeswoman Amani Sarahneh told AFP.

Yarden Bibas is the father of baby Kfir, only nine months old when he was kidnapped, and Ariel, who was four at the time of the cross-border attack.

There was no word on the fate of Kfir and Ariel, or on their mother Shiri, who was taken at the same time.

Hamas said in late 2023 that they had been killed by Israeli bombardment, in the early months of the Gaza war.

Video of their capture began circulating soon after they were seized. It showed a terrified Shiri clutching her small children in a blanket as they were bundled into captivity surrounded by militant assailants.

Hamas names Israeli hostages to be freed, in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners

Sixty-four year-old Keith Siegel is a dual US citizen. (Reuters: Hamas Military Wing)

Israeli-American Keith Siegel, who was taken hostage with his wife Aviva, was seen in a video released by Hamas last year. 

His wife was released in the first hostage-for-prisoner exchange in November 2023.

Ofer Kalderon's two children Erez and Sahar, abducted alongside him, were also released in the first exchange.

Hamas names Israeli hostages to be freed, in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners

Hadas Kalderon has been campaigning for her husband Ofer's release. (Reuters)

On Thursday, Hamas freed three Israeli and five Thai hostages in Gaza while Israel freed 110 Palestinian prisoners after delaying the process in anger at the swarming crowds engulfing one of the hostage handover points.

Under the ceasefire deal that halted more than 15 months of fighting, 33 hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza are to be freed in the first six weeks of the truce in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Reuters/AFP

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