Jan. 26 (UPI) — Hamas will release more Israeli hostages this week, officials said Monday, including Agam Berger, who was not released along with four of her colleagues Saturday.
As part of any agreement, Israel received a list of the status of all of the hostages to be released in the first stage.
“Following the conducting of vigorous and determined negotiations led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas has backtracked and will carry out an additional phase of releasing hostages this Thursday,” Netanyahu’s office posted on X early Monday in Israel.
The office also said early Monday that “Israel will – from tomorrow morning – allow the passage of Gazans to the northern Strip.”
Qatar, which has been mediating a fledgling cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas, called the agreement that allows Palestinians to return to northern Gaza a solution to the first major stumbling in the cease-fire.
“The Prime Minister reiterates that Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement,” Natanyahy posted. “We will continue to act for the return of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased.”
Four Israeli hostages released by Hamas Saturday described themselves as determined not to let themselves be humiliated during the transfer, they told media during the release.
The four abducted women, IDF surveillance soldiers Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19, smiled and waved confidently to crowds of Hamas gunmen and Gazans from a stage in a square in Gaza City during the handover, and reported during initial conversations with the media after their release that they were “unfazed” during the event.
The four hostages released Saturday have told their families and friends that they determinedly showed Hamas, during the staged event the terror group had arranged for their handover, that they would not be humiliated, according to reports of their initial conversations, The Times of Israel reported.
The four young women walked to the stage set up in a square in Gaza City calmly and confidently, and smiled and waved to the crowds of Hamas gunmen and Gazans.
The soldiers were wearing military style uniforms given to them by Hamas, and walked across the stage with armed soldiers.
“We showed them on the stage that we were not fazed,” Kan TV news quoted one of them as telling family and friends,” according to The Times of Israel. “It had no impact on us. We are stronger than them.”
Media reports said Hamas allegedly altered the photos of the women taken at the release so that they appeared healthier. Some other reports said the women were starved during their captivity.
Israeli leaders had expressed concern that Hamas would turn the handover in a propaganda event, and watched from Israel via a video stream. Instead, they said, the women “turned humiliation into victory.”
The four women were among the Israeli hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel. They were held captive for 477 days.