Daijiworld Media Network - Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Jan 31: Israel's Prime Minister's Office confirmed on Friday that Hamas will release three Israeli civilian hostages on Saturday as part of a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages agreement. The list of hostages includes Israeli-French citizen Ofer Calderon, 54, Israeli-American Keith Siegel, 65, and Israeli civilian Yarden Bibas, 35. Bibas' wife and two children were also taken to Gaza during the October 7 attack, though the Israeli military has not confirmed their deaths.

The release is part of the ongoing ceasefire deal, which went into effect on January 19. In the first phase, five Israeli civilians, five female soldiers, and five Thai nationals have been freed, with a total of 33 Israeli hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinians expected to be released.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian militants in Jenin following a military operation named 'Iron Wall.' The IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA) said they killed the militants after engaging in close-quarters combat. An Israeli soldier was killed and five others were injured during the operation. Since January 21, Israeli forces have been conducting military actions to dismantle militant groups in the region, resulting in numerous casualties and arrests.