At press time, the three hostages set to be released on Thursday, Jan. 30 were 29 year old civilian Arbel Yehoud, 20 year old IDF lookout Agam Berger and 80 year old Gadi Moses, according to an announcement on Wednesday. Under the terms of the deal, only men who are wounded, ill or over the age of 50 are expected to be freed in the first phase.
The releases were expected to occur in the late morning or early afternoon hours, according to sources who spoke to The Jerusalem Post.
This followed earlier reports that Israel had received the list of the three Israeli hostages in Gaza to be released on Thursday, and that the list met with the expectations of Israeli authorities.
According to information presented to mediators of the deal, five Thai citizens were also expected to be released by Hamas. This number was independent of the agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The release of three hostages in a previously unscheduled hostage transfer on Thursday was announced on Sunday after 48 hours of intense negotiations.
The Hostage Families Forum welcomed the good news “of the expected release of Arbel Yehoud, Agam Berger and Gadi Moses after 482 days in Hamas captivity,” in a statement released on Wednesday.
“An entire people is fighting for them and eagerly awaits their long-awaited return to the arms of their families. We have the sacred duty and moral right to return all our brothers and sisters home. We will not give up and will not stop at any stage until all the abductees return home within the framework of the current agreement – the living for rehabilitation and the dead for a proper burial in their country,” Hostage Families Forum continued.
Who Are They?
German-Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud was 28 when she was abducted by terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz – which three generations of her family called home. She was taken hostage Oct. 7, 2023 alongside her boyfriend, Ariel Cunio. Cunio, 27, is believed to be alive. Her brother, Dolev, was initially presumed to be a hostage until his body was discovered at the kibbutz nine months after the Hamas attack.
Arbel appeared in a video by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which was seemingly taken on Saturday, Jan. 25, the day that four other female hostages were released.
Hamas violated the agreement by failing to prioritize the release of female civilians. Instead of freeing Arbel, Hamas released four female soldiers: Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19.
Agam Berger, an IDF observation soldier, was kidnapped from Nahal Oz on Oct. 7, 2023. She is alleged to have been the hostage who braided the hair of the four IDF soldiers released on Saturday, Jan. 25, and she was reportedly held together with those four soldiers until a few days prior to their release.
Gadi Moses was taken captive from outside his home on Oct. 7 when Kibbutz Nir Oz was invaded by Hamas terrorists. Moses marked his 80th birthday in Hamas captivity in Gaza in March.
Gadi’s ex-wife Margalit Moses was also kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 and released on Nov. 24, 2023 after 49 days. His partner, Efrat Katz, was killed by Hamas, while her daughter and two grandchildren were taken and subsequently released as part of the first hostage deal.
Gadi Moses’ niece, Efrat Machikava, stated, “We are waiting for him, with severe longing. We hope that his mental and physical strength is in good condition,” according to KAN.
