Hamas releases names of 4 female hostages to be released next, possibly violates deal

close Video

Family member of freed Hamas hostage remains committed to securing the release of remaining hostages

Liz Naftali, whose niece was previously freed from Hamas captivity in 2023, joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss her reaction to the hostage release over the weekend and her continued quest to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.

Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Having trouble? Click here.

The families of Israeli hostages Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag have been informed that that their daughters, held in Gaza for 475 days, are slated to be freed on Saturday in the second round of hostage releases. 

Hamas revealed the names of the four women, all of whom are members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Friday, though the media was asked to wait until their families had been informed before releasing their identities. 

While the exchange of another four hostages under the deal is a positive step forward in the continued ceasefire, it also could be in direct violation of the agreement as female civilians were supposed to be released ahead of all female soldiers, followed by the elderly and wounded men. 

SURVIVOR OF NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL HAMAS TERROR ATTACK WINS SLOT TO REPRESENT ISRAEL AT EUROVISION

A combination picture shows Israeli hostages from left-to-right: Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, Liri Albag and Daniella Gilboa soldiers who were seized from their army base in southern Israel during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, in these undated handout pictures. Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (Courtesy of Bring Them Home Now/Handout via REUTERS.)

Of the 30 remaining people Hamas has agreed to release in the first phase of the ceasefire following the release of three women last week, two others were female civilians, including Arbel Yehud and Shiri Bibas, along with her two sons Kfir, who was just 9 months old when he was abducted with his 4-year-old brother Ariel. 

Israel had instructed Hamas to release Yehud this week amid concerns that her captivity may be prolonged as she is believed to be held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, not Hamas.

The world has also been waiting for news of the Bibas family. 

Hamas claimed in November 2023 that Shiri, Kfir and Ariel were killed in an Israeli airstrike, though Israel has said it has no intelligence to support these claims. 

Shiri and her sons have therefore never been assessed by Israeli officials to be deceased, and many have held out hope they will be reunited with Yaren Bibas, husband to Shiri and father to the two boys, who was separated from his family following their abduction on Oct. 7, 2023. 

He is also slated to be released within the first phase of the ceasefire. 

People walk towards Israeli military helicopters as Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, three female hostages who have been held in Gaza since the deadly October 7 2023 attack, return to Israel as part of a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, by Israel’s border with Gaza in southern Israel, January 19, 2025. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)

DR. AYELET LEVY SHAHAR: A MOTHER’S MESSAGE TO AMERICA: DON’T FORGET THE HOSTAGES

Israeli officials reportedly told the families of the four women that though their daughters have been listed by Hamas for release tomorrow, this could still change. 

Officials also apparently spoke with the family of a fifth female IDF soldier still held by Hamas, Agam Berger, as well as Yehud’s family, though it is unclear what was discussed in either conversation. 

The four female soldiers set for release on Saturday were believed to have been, at least at one time, held all together along with Berger. 

The state of the young women has long remained unknown and concerns of sexual violence against the female Israeli soldiers has remained a persistent issue since their brutal capture from the Nahal Oz post in October 2023. 

Video footage on the day of the attack showed the women lined up, bloodied and injured as the Hamas terrorists yelled at them. 

Naama Levy has been held hostage for more than a year. (The Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The women were then loaded into a truck as Hamas terrorists fired guns into the air, and then driven into Gaza.

In exchange for their freedom, Israel has agreed to release a reported 50 Palestinian security prisoners per female soldier, including those facing life sentences for terrorism. 

Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.