Hamas to release 3 Israeli hostages Saturday in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners

JERUSALEM/GAZA -- Israel has received from Hamas, through mediating countries, the names of three Israeli hostages to be released from Gaza on Saturday as part of a ceasefire-hostage deal, the prime minister's office said Friday in a statement.

In exchange, Hamas said Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners.

The three Israeli hostages, kidnapped in a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, are Ohad Ben Ami, 56, a dual Israeli-German citizen; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Or Levy, 34.

According to Israeli media reports, Ben Ami's wife was also kidnapped on Oct 7, but was released after 54 days in captivity as part of a previous hostage deal.

The Prisoners' Media Office affiliated with Hamas said on Friday that Israel will release 183 Palestinian prisoners. According to a press statement, the list includes 18 prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, 54 prisoners serving long sentences, and 111 prisoners from the Gaza Strip who were arrested after the Oct 7 attack.

This will be the fifth hostage-prisoner exchange under the first stage of the ceasefire agreement. The previous four swaps resulted in the release of 18 hostages from Gaza and around 600 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Effective on Jan 19, the first, 42-day phase of the ceasefire agreement stipulates that Hamas release 33 hostages, while Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.