Hamas backtracks, confirms second hostage exchange to proceed Saturday – Ynetnews

Hamas announced Monday night that the second phase of the hostage exchange will take place as originally scheduled on Saturday, January 25, 2025.

The group had earlier said the release would happen on Sunday, in violation of the hostage-to-prisoner swap agreement, but later backtracked, reaffirming the original timeline.

Earlier Monday, Hamas spokesperson Nahed Fakhoury outlined the revised plan, saying, “The second part of the initial phase will begin implementation on Saturday, January 25, 2025. On that day, the resistance will present the names of Israeli captives to be released, and in return, Israel will provide a list of Palestinian prisoners to be freed. Based on these lists, the actual exchange will take place on Sunday, January 26, 2025.”

However, following Israeli appeals to mediators, Hamas reversed course, officially confirming that the exchange will proceed on Saturday as originally planned, with the list of hostages to be submitted on Friday.

The second stage of the initial phase of the hostage deal will see four additional Israeli hostages released from Hamas captivity.

Israeli officials anticipate the release of one civilian and three female soldiers, believed to be observers abducted from the Nahal Oz base on October 7. The release is expected late Sunday afternoon, when Hamas will hand over the hostages to the Red Cross, which will transfer them to Israeli forces inside Gaza. From there, they will be transported into Israel, reunited with their families and flown to a hospital for medical care.

Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for negotiations on the second phase of the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to establish working teams in the coming days. Talks are set to begin on February 4, the 16th day of the agreement, during which Israel will finalize its positions on the next steps.

The international community is hopeful the cease-fire will be extended, potentially allowing for the release of more than the 33 hostages included in the first phase. In the November 2023 deal, the number of hostages freed exceeded initial expectations, with 105 captives released, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals. However, Hamas has indicated it may not agree to an expanded release this time without a permanent cease-fire that ends the war in Gaza.

French and German officials have expressed optimism to families of the hostages, hoping the ongoing momentum of the cease-fire and hostage releases will result in an expanded list of freed captives.

The second phase of the hostage deal is set to be an early test for U.S. President Donald Trump’s relationship with Israel. During the Security Cabinet’s dramatic session approving the deal, Netanyahu claimed to have assurances from Trump that if negotiations on the second phase fail, the U.S. would back a return to military action. However, sources familiar with the details believe Netanyahu’s promises to the political right were intended to secure support for the deal.

These sources suggest that Trump is likely to pressure Netanyahu to extend negotiations, possibly offering incentives such as additional hostage releases, progress on Iran or normalization with Saudi Arabia. While Trump has declared his intent to end wars rather than start them, he is expected to prioritize outcomes favorable to Israel. Observers believe Trump will exert significant pressure on Netanyahu to avoid a swift return to fighting and focus on diplomacy.