Hamas says will free four women captives in next swap

AFP , Tuesday 21 Jan 2025

Hamas said Tuesday it will release four more women in the next swap with Israel under the terms of a fragile truce intended to bring to an end to 15 months of genocidal war on Gaza.

This image grab from a handout video released by the Hamas Media Office shows Israeli captives (L to
This image grab from a handout video released by the Hamas Media Office shows Israeli captives (L to R) Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbracher. AFP

 

Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP that four Israeli women will be released on Saturday in exchange for a second group of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

The ceasefire took effect on Sunday, and saw Israel and Hamas conduct their first captive prisoner exchange.

In Washington, newly-inaugurated US President Donald Trump said he doubted the truce would hold.

"That's not our war; it's their war. But I'm not confident," he said.

Trump had claimed credit for the three-phase ceasefire agreement announced ahead of his return to the White House by Qatar and the United States, following months of fruitless negotiations under his predecessor Joe Biden.

Qatar was confident in the ceasefire deal it helped mediate "when it comes to the language of the deal, when it comes to the fact that we hashed out all the major issues on the table", its foreign minister spokesman said on Tuesday.

The new US president has made clear he would support Israel, and in one of his first acts as president, he revoked sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank imposed by the Biden administration over attacks against the Palestinians.

 

* This story was edited by Ahram Online.

Short link: