Hamas affirms commitment to implementing truce deal, announces hostages to be released

GAZA/JERUSALEM - Hamas said on Friday that it has "no interest in not committing" to the Gaza ceasefire deal in response to the Israeli accusation that a body returned by Hamas is not that of hostage Shiri Bibas.

Israel said on Thursday that forensic analysis had confirmed that the body it received from Hamas earlier in the day was not that of hostage Bibas, whose remains were supposed to be handed over along with those of her two children and another Israeli man.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that Israel will seek revenge against Hamas, noting, "We will ensure that Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the agreement."

"Hamas is surprised by the uproar caused by Israel following its claim that the body of the captive Shiri Bibas does not match the DNA test," Hamas said in a statement.

"The movement stresses the need to move forward in implementing the agreement's requirements at all levels. We in Hamas affirm our seriousness and full commitment to all our obligations, and we have proven this through our behavior over the past few days," it added.

"We will examine these allegations very seriously, and we will announce the results clearly," noted the movement, pointing out "the possibility of an error or overlap in the bodies".

Meanwhile, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced that it will release six Israeli hostages on Saturday as part of the prisoner exchange deal.

In a brief statement, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, named the individuals set for release: Avera Mengistu, Hisham al-Sayed, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen.

The statement did not specify the details of the release.

Under the terms of the ongoing three-phase ceasefire agreement, effective since Jan 19 with its first phase spanning six weeks, Hamas is expected to release six living hostages on Saturday in exchange for hundreds more Palestinians detained by Israel.

The release of the remaining living hostages in Gaza is expected to take place during the second phase of the ceasefire deal, which still needs to be negotiated. Israel has said negotiations on that phase would begin "this week".