AKIPRESS.COM - The Palestinian group Hamas will release six Israeli hostages on Saturday, February 22, The Times of Israel reports.

These six people are the last of the 33 hostages that Hamas committed to release as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal with Israel.

Initially, Hamas planned to release only three hostages on February 22, and three more a week later. These are Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem-Tov, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Said. The last two have been held captive by Hamas for more than ten years, while the other four were captured on October 7, 2023.

Hamas also announced that on February 20, it will hand over the bodies of four dead hostages to Israel. Among them are Shiri Bibas and her young children Ariel and Kfir. Hamas claimed in late 2023 that they were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Israeli authorities have not yet officially confirmed that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas are dead, and that their bodies will be handed over on February 20.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas came into effect on January 19. As part of the first stage, which will last 42 days, the Hamas obliged to release 33 hostages, Israel is obliged to release more than 1,900 prisoners and begin withdrawing troops from the Gaza Strip.