Hamas has named the next three Israeli hostages it plans to release as part of the ceasefire deal, showing the agreement is moving forward even as the US and Israel discuss plans to relocate all of Gaza’s population.
The three Israeli men are set to be freed from Gaza on Saturday in the fifth round of exchanges of hostages for Palestinians jailed by Israel.
An Israeli official confirmed the names received from Hamas were Eli Sharabi, 52, Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34.
Mr Sharabi was taken captive by the militants from Kibbutz Beeri, a communal farm that was one of the hardest hit in the Hamas attack.
His wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed by militants while hiding in their safe room. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, who lived next door, was killed in captivity.
Mr Ben Ami, a father of three, was taken hostage with his wife, Raz, from Kibbutz Beeri, where he was the kibbutz accountant. Mrs Ben Ami was released during the brief ceasefire period in November.
Mr Levy was pulled by the militants from a bomb shelter near the Nova music festival in southern Israel.
His wife, Einav Levy, was killed during the October 7 attack. Their son Almog, a toddler, is staying with his grandparents. Mr Levy is from the city of Rishon Lezion, where he worked as a computer programmer.
President Donald Trump said his suggestions that Gaza’s residents could be resettled and the area redeveloped for tourism has “been very well received” around the globe.
The idea has actually been roundly criticised but Mr Trump insisted on Friday that it was a simple “real estate transaction” and that the US is in “no rush to do anything”.
Mr Trump has suggested resettlement of Gaza’s residents could be permanent – something that even top members of his own administration have refuted.
But Mr Trump said that “we don’t want to see everybody move back and then move out in 10 years” because of continued unrest.
