GAZA: Hamas has named three Israeli hostages set to be released on Saturday, February 1. According to the group's armed wing spokesperson Abu Obeida, the hostages are Ofer Calderon, Keith Siegel, and Yarden Bibas.

Israeli officials confirmed that the three men would be freed under the ongoing ceasefire deal. However, there is still no information about Kfir and Ariel Bibas or their mother, Shiri, who were taken captive alongside Yarden Bibas. Hamas previously claimed in late 2023 that they were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Keith Siegel, a 65-year-old Israeli-American from North Carolina, was abducted along with his wife, Aviva, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Aviva was released in November 2023 during a previous hostage-prisoner exchange.

Ofer Calderon, 54, was taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, along with his two children, Erez and Sahar. His children were freed during an earlier ceasefire.
Yarden Bibas, 35, was also kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz but separately from his wife, Shiri, and their sons, Ariel and Kfir. Kfir, who was just 10 months old at the time, was the youngest hostage taken by Hamas.

Israel confirmed receiving the list of hostages to be released. In return, Israel will free another group of Palestinian prisoners, marking the fourth such exchange since the ceasefire began on January 19.

The conflict erupted after Hamas took around 251 hostages during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths. In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza, which, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, has killed 47,460 Palestinians over the past 15 months.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his stance that Palestinians from Gaza should be resettled in Egypt and Jordan, an idea both countries have rejected. His recent comments included suggesting that Israel should "clean out" the population in Gaza, a statement that has drawn significant criticism.

It was on January 18, that the U.S. Confirmed Ceasefire Progress, after the cabinet’s approval, Brett McGurk, the lead U.S. negotiator, that the  agreement was moving forward as planned. 
The ceasefire started in three phases, starting with a six-week period during which hostages held by Hamas exchanged for prisoners detained by Israel. In the first phase, 33 of the remaining 98 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and elderly men, will be freed. In exchange, Israel will release all Palestinian women and minors under 19 years old currently in Israeli custody.

The Israeli Justice Ministry published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners scheduled for release The agreement outlines additional releases: four female hostages after seven days and three more hostages every subsequent week.