They agreed that negotiations on the second phase will begin at their meeting Monday, and Witkoff later in the week will speak with the other mediators, Qatar and Egypt. Hamas on Saturday freed three male hostages, and Israel released Palestinian prisoners in the fourth such exchange.
Another exchange is planned for next Saturday. All three were taken during the Oct. Eighteen hostages have now been released since the ceasefire began on Jan. The latest releases were quick and orderly, in contrast to chaotic scenes on Thursday when armed militants appeared to struggle to hold back a crowd.
On Saturday, the militants stood in rows as the hostages walked onto a stage and waved. Hamas has sought to show it remains in control in Gaza even though a number of its military leaders have been killed. Jubilant crowds cheered and hoisted the prisoners on their shoulders. Many appeared frail and thin. The Israeli Prison Authority said all prisoners set for release had been freed. In another sign of progress in the ceasefire, they included who were arrested after Hamas' Oct. They had been held without trial and were released to Gaza.
Seven serving life sentences were transferred to Egypt. Siegel, 65, originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was taken hostage from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, along with his wife, Aviva, who was released during a brief ceasefire.
The release of Bibas, 35, brought renewed attention to the fate of his wife, Shiri, and their two sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were 4 years old and 9 months old when they were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Kfir was the youngest of the roughly people who were taken captive on Oct. Hamas has said they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel has not confirmed it. After his release, Bibas closed his eyes as his father, Eli, and sister Ofri hugged him and cried.
