Hamas to release 3 Israeli and 5 Thai hostages on Thursday; Israel demands information about Bibas family

Israeli hostages Arbel Yehud (29), Agam Berger (19) and Gadi Moses (80) will be released from captivity on Thursday, Hamas told Israel through Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Wednesday evening.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that a corresponding list had been received and said the families of the hostages were informed.

In addition, five of the eight Thai citizens remaining in Gaza will also be released. According to information available to Israel, eight Thai citizens (six alive and two dead), one Nepali (alive) and one Tanzanian (dead) are still being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The release on Thursday comes in addition to the regular releases scheduled for the weekends, after Israel refused to open the Netzarim Corridor until Hamas committed to release Arbel Yehud, who is the last female civilian hostage, except Shiri Silberman Bibas.

Regarding the Bibas family with their two young children Ariel and Kfir, Israel demanded clear answers about their fate from Hamas.

Footage of the young, redheaded children and their mother being kidnapped on Oct. 7 are among the most harrowing pictures from that day, and their fate has been an ongoing concern among the Israeli public.

After the release on Thursday, which reportedly could begin earlier than usual in the late morning to early afternoon, 82 hostages will remain in Hamas captivity, with three more slated for release next Saturday.

Gadi Moses is among the oldest hostages still in Gaza. His family stated Wednesday that it received the news of his planned release with “great excitement.”

“We thank the people of Israel for the embrace and support and promise to share our feelings after we hug our Gadi,” the Moses family said, requesting not to be interviewed by media until his return.

Agam Berger is the last of the five female IDF field observers who were kidnapped together on Oct. 7. Her four comrades were released last weekend.

Last weekend, Hamas staged an elaborate show surrounding the release of the hostages, with the participation of members of the Red Cross, who signed and stamped “release documents” for the hostages live on a stage.

In response to the Times of Israel asking whether it could not exert influence to prevent Hamas from staging the handover to its representatives amid hostile crowds, the Red Cross said: “The ICRC is in contact with all sides regarding the terms of the release of hostages and detainees.”

“While we bring up our concerns, we are not the ones who determine these terms,” the organization said, adding, “Our mission is to ensure that we carry out what the sides have requested from us.”

Asked if it foresaw the upcoming release procedures looking different, the Red Cross declined to comment.