Hamas has finally named three hostages set for release tomorrow following a delay due to an ongoing row about humanitarian aid.
The terror group had been due to identify those being freed by 4pm IST (2pm GMT) today but Israeli officials confirmed that the deadline was missed.
They have now been named as Or Levy, Ohad Ben-Ami and Eliyahu Sharabi.
Sharabi is one of the few remaining British-linked hostages in Gaza as his wife Lianne, who was killed on October 7 along with teenage their daughters Noiya and Yahel, was born in Bristol.
Eliyahu Sharabi's wife and teenage daughters were killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023[Missing Credit]
A statement from lawyers acting for family in the UK read: “We and our clients, the Sharabi and Brisley families, are pleased and relieved that Eli Sharabi is reportedly on the list for release by Hamas, due to take place tomorrow.
"It is imperative that tomorrow’s release arrangements prioritise the safety of the hostages over Hamas’s grotesque and dangerous ‘release ceremonies’. There cannot be a repeat of the scenes a week ago when hostages were put at danger of injury and death by a mob of thousands of people.
"Hostage taking is a war crime and every nation should be calling for the hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally so that their almost-500 day ordeal, and that of their families, is brought to an end.”
The all-male hostage release has deepened anxiety over the welfare of the Bibas children (Image: Getty)Getty Images
Reports indicate that Hamas was witholding the names after accusing Israel of blocking the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Representatives of the group told Al-Arabiya that Israel had failed to allowed mobile homes and tents into the Strip and had not provided equipment or sufficient fuel to clear rubble.
Israel has long argued that Hamas uses fuel and equipment from aid packages to make weapons and power its operations.
The naming confirms that all of the captives freed tomorrow will be male – suggesting that there are no more female hostages left alive.
Under international humanitarian rules, women and children should be released ahead of civilian men and combatants.
The fact that the both the most recent and next round of releases are all-male has further deepened concern for the welfare of the Bibas children.
Five-year-old Ariel and two-year-old Kfir remain in Gaza, along with their mother Shiri, after being abducted during the October 7 attacks.
The boys’ father, Yarden, was released last week along with Ofer Kalderon and Keith Siegel.
Hamas has previously claimed that Shiri and her two sons were killed in an airstrike and the fact that they have not yet been released has prompted anxiety that this was not a bluff.
Eight of the remaining 20 hostages are known to be dead, but Hamas has refused to reveal the identities of the deceased.
