In short:
Hamas has identified Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami, and Or Levy as the next three Israeli hostages to be release as part of the ceasefire deal.
The three men were captured when Hamas launched a terrorist attack on southern Israel in October 2023.
What's next?
The ceasefire is currently in its first six-week phase which stipulates the release of 33 Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Terms of the second phase are yet to be agreed upon.
Hamas has identified three more Israeli hostages it plans to free as part of the fragile ceasefire agreement, a sign the deal was moving forward even as United States and Israeli officials continued calls to relocate Gaza's population after the war.
The three men, captured by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, terror attack on southern Israel, are set to be freed on Saturday, local time, in the fifth exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel.
An Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive material, confirmed that the hostages scheduled for release are Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34.
Hamas hands over three Israeli hostages
Photo shows Man waves arm flanked by men in military clothing with guns
Israel is set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday to fulfil its side of the agreement, according to the Hamas-linked prisoners' office in Gaza.
The terms of the deal's first six-week phase call for Hamas to gradually free a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Mr Sharabi was taken captive from Kibbutz Beeri, a communal farm that was one of the hardest hit in the Hamas attack. His wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters were killed by militants.
Mr Ben Ami, a father of three, was taken hostage from the same community, where he was the kibbutz accountant. His wife, who was also captured, was released during a brief ceasefire in November 2023.
Mr Levy, a computer programmer from the city of Rishon Lezion, was pulled by militants from a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival in southern Israel. His wife was killed during the attack. The couple's toddler son has been under the care of family members.
This combination of undated photos provided by Hostages Family Forum show Or Levy (left), Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami, all of whom were abducted and brought to Gaza on October 7, 2023. Â (AP: Hostages Family Forum)
Hamas has so far released 18 hostages, including five Thai citizens captured in Israel during the attack. Last week, Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners in accordance with the deal.
Details of the planned exchange came as US President Donald Trump continued talking up his widely criticised proposal to move all Palestinians from Gaza and redevelop it as an international travel destination.
The idea, which Mr Trump characterised on Friday, local time, as a "real estate transaction", has been roundly rejected by the region's Arab governments and by Palestinians themselves.
But Mr Trump insisted on Friday that his idea "had been very well received".
After calling originally for "permanent" resettlement of the Palestinians, his newest comments left the question of duration unresolved.
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Photo shows Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference.
"We don't want to see everybody move back and then move out in 10 years because of continued unrest", he said.
Israeli forces have withdrawn from most of Gaza, as specified by the ceasefire agreement, but remain in border areas.
The military has warned Palestinians to avoid areas where troops are operating and has opened fire on people accused of violating the terms of the agreement.
Negotiators have yet to agree on terms for the deal's second phase, in which Hamas would release dozens more hostages in return for more prisoners and a lasting ceasefire.
The Palestinian prisoners' office said that of those set for release on Saturday, 18 are serving life sentences, 54 have long-term sentences, and 111 are Gazans who were detained after the October 7 attack.
AP
