Following a warning of breaking the ongoing ceasefire by Israel in Gaza, Hamas is expected to announce the names of three hostages on Saturday, local media outlets have reported.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to release three more hostages amid Israeli warnings that they must choose between releasing the hostages by the end of this week or facing a resumption of hostilities in Gaza. Earlier, Hamas had stated that it halted the release of hostages, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement.
The pressure on Palestinian groups to adhere to the ceasefire agreement, which was reached on January 19 to end the 15-month-long war in Gaza, intensified after US President Donald Trump proposed that the US take control of the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli media, Hamas has prepared to announce the names of three hostages to be released on Saturday, reiterating its commitment to the ceasefire and the "agreed-upon timeline" for further exchanges.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou said, "We are willing to implement this ceasefire and are compelled to rely on the hostages in our custody to ensure its full compliance."
Hamas is under pressure from Israel to release "three living hostages" on Saturday.
The Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer stated, "If Hamas does not proceed with the process of returning at least three of our hostages by Saturday, the ceasefire will end by noon on Saturday."
A ceasefire has been in place between Hamas and Israel since January 19. So far, Hamas has released 21 hostages in five batches, while Israel has freed 566 Palestinian prisoners in return.
However, it remains uncertain whether Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who has not been released so far, will be among those freed this time. Bipin Joshi's family is in distress as he has not yet been released.
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