Three Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals are expected to be freed from Gaza by Hamas on Thursday, Israel has said.

Two women, civilian Arbel Yehud, 29, and military observer Agam Berger, 20, have been named along with an 80-year-old man, Gadi Moses, as the Israelis set for release.

If completed, it will be the third hostage release of the latest Gaza ceasefire deal. In exchange for the Israeli hostages, 110 Palestinians are being freed from Israeli jails.

The Thai hostages’ names have not yet been made public. Their release would be a unilateral move by Hamas, and would not constitute part of the deal.

They are reportedly agricultural workers who were abducted from Israel where they worked.

Thailand’s government has said six of its citizens are still being held hostage in Gaza.

Their names are Watchara Sriuan, Bannawat Seatho, Sathian Suwannakham, Nattapong Pinta, Pongsak Tanna and Surasak Lamnau.

Thailand said two other Thai hostages - Sudthisak Rinthalak and Sonthaya Oakkharasri - are believed to be dead.

The names of the 110 Palestinian prisoners set to be freed by Israel have not been released either, but it’s thought they include at least 30 women and children, as well as prisoners sentenced to life terms.

Their release is part of the third such exchange since the ceasefire came into effect on 19 January. Seven women have already been freed alive in exchange for more than 290 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

A fourth hostage release involving three men is expected to take place on Saturday, the Israeli government said.

The Israeli military launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

More than 47,310 people in Gaza have been killed since then in Israel’s offensive, the majority of them civilians, the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry says.

Arbel Yehud

Arbel Yehud, 29, was taken from her home in Nir Oz in southern Israel during the 7 October attacks.

She was abducted along with her partner, Ariel Cunio. He and his brother, David Cunio, remain in captivity according to The Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Arbel’s brother, Dolev Yehud, was initially believed to have been taken hostage, but was later declared dead by Israeli authorities after his remains were identified.

Arbel worked at the Center for Technology, Science and Space at the Eshkol Regional Council.

Gadi Moses

Gadi Moses, aged 80, was also abducted from Nir Oz where he worked as an agricultural expert.

His partner, Efrat Katz, was killed in the attack.

In September, his family told the Times of Israel that they had not heard any information about him since December 2023, when he appeared in a Hamas propaganda video.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said he was a founding member of his kibbutz’s vineyard, and helped look after its community vegetable garden.

Agam Berger

Soldier Agam Berger, 20, was kidnapped from the Nahal Oz military base on the border with Gaza. She was seen being taken away in videos released by Hamas.

According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, she was serving as an observer at the base, having arrived just two days before the 7 October attack.

Hostages already freed in January ceasefire

Agam was taken captive alongside her fellow observers Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy.

The other four Israeli soldiers were released by Hamas on 25 January, in a swap that saw Israel free 200 Palestinian prisoners.

They were handed to the Red Cross in Gaza City in the second such exchange since the ceasefire came into effect.

The first release saw three women hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners freed on 19 January.

Karina Ariev

Karina Ariev, 20, was serving at the Nahal Oz army base when she was kidnapped on 7 October, 2023.

Her sister Alexandra told the BBC she heard shooting as Karina called her during the attack, and later saw a video showing Karina being taken away in a vehicle.

Alexandra then saw the video circulating on Telegram of Karina’s kidnapping. “We identified her, she had blood on her face, she was screaming.

“I would never wish anyone to feel this feeling,” she told the BBC. “Time has stopped.”

After her release, her family described her as a “symbol of courage, heart, and determination, and we are proud of her beyond words”.

“After 477 tumultuous days of pain, worry, and endless anxiety – we finally got to embrace our beloved Karina, hear her voice, and see her smile that once again fills us with light,” the statement read.

Naama Levy

Naama Levy, 20, was filmed being bundled into a jeep, her hands tied behind her back. The footage was released by Hamas and circulated widely on social media. According to her mother, the teenager had just begun her military service.

But she had previously been part of an Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative, and her family called her “a peace seeker”.

In a video of her kidnapping from the Nahal Oz army base, she was heard to tell her captors in English: “I have friends in Palestine.”

In May 2024 her brother, Amit, said her family released the footage to “encourage all sides to get back to the table” to solve “an unbearable humanitarian issue”.

“We feel like she’s handling the situation like the true superhero she is, like a hero fighting for her life.”

Daniella Gilboa

Daniella Gilboa, 20, was injured in the leg when she was kidnapped along with other female soldiers at Nahal Oz.

She has been seen in several videos, and in one last year asked Israel’s government why she had been “abandoned” and “discarded” while war raged around her.

Ms Gilboa’s mother, Orly, told the Jerusalem Post the video showed her daughter was “strong and determined”. However, she said she was concerned about her “poor mental state”.

After her release, her family said she had “survived 477 days in the hell of Gaza and has finally returned to our family’s embrace”.

“How we’ve prayed for this moment!” the statement said.

The family went on to thank Israelis for their “prayers and support during this time”, adding “we couldn’t have made it through without you”.

Liri Albag

Liri Albag was 18 and had just started military training as an Army lookout when Hamas attacked the Nahal Oz base on 7 October 2023.

Her cousin Aya Albag, a corporal in the army, said she had told her she was “proud” of her passing her observation course before she went to the base

“She was motivated and so happy that she was assigned to Nahal Oz,” she told the Jerusalem Post. “She began her role on Thursday, and a day and a half later, on Saturday morning, she was kidnapped.”

Her family say that she has managed to pass messages back to them through released hostages.

In January 2024, footage of Albag was released by Hamas and she could be heard saying her “entire life had been put on pause”.

“The world is starting to forget about us. No one cares about us. We’re living in a nightmare.”

First hostage release

The hostages freed on 19 January - the first under this latest ceasefire deal - were Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari.

All three arrived back in Israel this month after being released by Hamas in Gaza, and were reunited with their families.

Romi Gonen

Romi Gonen, 24, was captured as she tried to escape the Nova music festival when it was targeted by the militant group as part of the 7 October 2023 attack.

More than 360 people were killed at the festival when Hamas fighters crossed over the border, 2km (1.3 miles) to the west. The desert landscape offered partygoers limited cover and exit routes were blocked by gunmen.

When sirens sounded as the attack unfolded, Romi called her family. Her mother, Meirav, recalled hearing shots and shouting in Arabic in the final call with her daughter.

Romi was ambushed by Hamas militants as she tried to flee.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Romi had gone to the festival “to do what she loved, to dance” - something she had studied for 12 years, starring in solo performances and becoming an “amazing choreographer”.

In a video clip shared by the Israeli military, Romi’s father was seen jumping in the air before breaking down in tears as he watched footage of his daughter’s release.

Doron Steinbrecher

Doron, 31, was abducted from her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza - near Gaza’s north-western border - when Hamas attacked.

The community, one of many Israeli villages along the border, was heavily targeted by armed militants during the 7 October attacks.

Israeli officials said Hamas burned homes and killed civilians, including whole families, as well as taking hostages.

When the assault began, Doron contacted her family and friends via WhatsApp to say she was hiding under the bed as militants advanced, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.

In her last voice message, she was heard screaming “they’ve caught me” as shouting and gunfire sounded in the background.

Doron’s family received no information about her whereabouts for nearly four months.

“After an unbearable 471 days, our beloved Dodo has finally returned to our arms,” her family said in a statement released by the missing families forum.

Emily Damari

Emily, 28, was shot in the hand and taken into Gaza from her home during the attack, and also saw her dog shot and killed. Photographs after her release showed Emily with a bandaged hand and two missing fingers from that attack.

Her mother, Mandy Damari, was also in the kibbutz in her separate home on 7 October. Mrs Damari hid in the safe room and was saved by a bullet hitting the door handle, making it impossible for attackers to get in.

As the assault unfolded, Emily sent her mother a text message containing a single heart emoji - that was the last contact they had.

Emotional images showed Emily reunited with her mother in Israel, hugging while on a video call with her brother.

“I want to thank everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal, and who never stopped saying her name,” Mrs Damari said.

Mrs Damari was born and raised in the UK, and met her husband on a holiday in Israel aged 20.

Emily, the youngest of four children, has strong connections with the UK - she is a Tottenham Hotspur fan and would often visit to see relatives.

More Israeli hostages due to be released

Before the ceasefire, Israel said 94 hostages remained unaccounted for, but it believed only 60 to still be alive.

There are 26 Israeli hostages due to be handed over in the first phase of the ceasefire deal. Israel has said eight of them are dead, citing a list provided by Hamas that gave information on the status of the hostages.

Source: BBC

--Agencies