An advocacy group representing the family members of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas confirmed on Friday that the second batch of hostages set to be released this weekend is of four female soldiers. The names of the hostages had been announced earlier by Hamas.
The fighting has been halted for six week under the terms of the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal and dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed, while more aid flows in.
In exchange for the four soldiers being released Saturday, Israel should release 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 militants serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. The first exchange took place Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, Palestinians displaced from war-battered northern Gaza are facing an agonizing wait before the ceasefire allows them to go back to what remains of their homes.
Additionally, although the fighting has stopped in Gaza, Israel is carrying out a major military operation in the West Bank, killing at least 14 people according to health authorities there.
