What happened on day six of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office said that the list Hamas published of the four names of hostages to be released on Saturday did not comply with the agreement in a statement on Friday.

"Israel is preparing to receive the hostages tomorrow. The list of prisoners will be provided this evening," a security source said Friday evening, according to Israeli media.

As part of the hostage deal, it was agreed that the four hostages set for release on Saturday are to be three soldiers and one civilian.

The deal will see 33 hostages released in the first phase in exchange for the release of security prisoners, humanitarian aid, and an IDF withdrawal from some areas in Gaza.

Hamas is also supposed to pass on a list of the status of the remaining 26 hostages held in Gaza who are on the release list for the first phase.

For the first time, Israel will, therefore, receive official information about the fate of the Bibas family: Parents Shiri and Yarden and children, Ariel and Kfir.

Emily Damari, who was released in last week's batch of hostages, asked her captors if Keith Siegel could be released in her place, according to a report on N12.

Once Emily was informed that she was to be released and that Keith, 65, was not going to be released with her, she reportedly asked her Hamas captors if he could be released in her place.

כשאמילי דמארי התבשרה שהיא עומדת להשתחרר, היא פנתה למחבלים, ביקשה להישאר בשבי ודרשה לשחרר את החטוף קית' סיגל (בן 65) במקומה. המחבלים סירבו לבקשה@naimleee @DanyCushmaro pic.twitter.com/W36vDp3qkA

— החדשות - N12 (@N12News) January 24, 2025

The four female IDF observers finally set to be released in the second part of the first phase of the hostage deal are expected to arrive at Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Hospital via a CH-53 "Yasur" helicopter tomorrow. Their families will greet them at one of the border crossings.

Upon arrival and reuniting with their families, the hostages will also be accompanied by female personnel from the IDF Medical Corps. Both the IDF and Beilinson Hospital emphasized that most of the staff surrounding the released women for the duration of their care will be female.

This decision was made based on insights from previous debriefings with released hostages who reported that an environment with mostly women made their initial recovery easier after enduring captivity by Hamas terrorists.

The IDF identified numerous terror threats and fired warning shots toward them in several areas of Gaza, the military announced Friday evening.

In the central part of Gaza, IDF troops identified a suspicious person and fired warning shots at him. The suspect didn't retreat, and in response, shots were fired by the IDF.

Hamas announced on Friday that, as part of the second release of the first phase of a hostage-ceasefire agreement, the terror group would release Daniella Gilboa on Saturday.

As part of the first release last week, Hamas released 28-year-old Emily Damari, 23-year-old Romi Gonen, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher

Daniella, now 20, is a talented singer with a winning smile. She is funny and stands out in any environment, loved ones shared about her.

Daniella was originally named Danielle, but her parents changed her name after she was abducted to Gaza, following the recommendation of a rabbi. 

"Two weeks after her abduction, Daniel Gilboa’s parents spoke to a rabbi who recommended giving her a second name and changing her name from Daniel to Daniella," the Hostage Family Forum said.

"In Hebrew, adding the letter ה’ (which means God and sounds like ‘a’) to the end of a name symbolizes adding divine protection to the person," the forum explained. 

Daniella's mother has mentioned this in interviews, saying that her dream is for her daughter to scold her for the change when she returns safely home. 

Daniela Gilboa in footage published July 9, 2024. (credit: screenshot)

Along with her friends and family, Gilboa's boyfriend of eight years is awaiting her return. His father previously told Israeli media that his son had sought Gilboa's parents' blessing to propose to their daughter.

What do we know about the abduction of Daniella Gilboa?

She was taken captive from the Nahal Oz Outpost along with other IDF observers. Footage of the abduction, in which the women are seen held by Hamas terrorists in the bases' shelter, some of them bloodied and wounded, was released by the families in May.

Gilboa has appeared in multiple videos released by her terrorist captors.  In a July video, Gilboa directed criticism at the government.

The footage released reassured the many that wounds to Gilboa’s leg sustained on October 7 had not proven more deadly, Gilboa’s boyfriend’s father told Maariv.

“I don’t know when or if I’ll ever return home. I’m under constant bombardment and gunfire 24 hours a day. I’m terrified for my life. At one point, your bombs nearly killed me,” she said. “Where were you on October 7 when I was taken from my bed? Where are you now? Why do I, as a soldier who gave 100% of myself to the country and served in such difficult conditions in the Gaza envelope, have to feel abandoned and discarded by you?” 

“In the footage, she appears strong and determined, but psychological assessments we’ve received indicate her poor mental state,”  Gilboa’s mother, Orly Gilboa, said after the footage was released.  

Hamas confirmed on Friday that Naama Levy is among the four female soldiers set to be released on Saturday in the second week of the first phase of a hostage-ceasefire deal.

Last week, Hamas released 28-year-old Emily Damari, 23-year-old Romi Gonen, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.

Levy was abducted from the Nahal Oz base along with several other female IDF observers - some of whom are also expected to be released Saturday.

Levy’s plight quickly gained international attention when footage of her in Gaza, in bloodied grey sweatpants, circulated online. Released hostages told the family that she was wounded.

The now-20-year-old’s brother, Amit Levy, told the Media Line that his sister was not a victim of sexual violence for at least the first 50 days of her time in captivity.

Naama Levy with her family. (credit: Courtesy Levy family)

“There are already so many people we failed—those we could have saved from captivity but didn’t. I cannot let that happen to my little sister,” Amit said. We cannot let it happen to any of the other hostages still being held.”

Naama Levy’s cousin Zack Shachar told Australian Jewish News on Tuesday that the family had not received any recent signs of life.

Before Gazan captivity

Before her abduction, she had volunteered at both the United Nations and the Red Cross. One of the many organizations she volunteered with, Hands of Peace, sought to build a future of coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. 

It was for her humanitarian work, and her telling her Hamas captors, "I have friends in Palestine," that the Jerusalem Post’s editor-in-chief Zvika Klein commented, “Her journey from promoting peace to becoming a symbol of the struggle for justice underscores the enduring human spirit’s capacity for resilience and the relentless pursuit of peace amidst conflict.”  

Hamas confirmed on Friday that Liri Albag would be among the four hostages released on Saturday in the second week of the first phase of a hostage-ceasefire deal. 

Last week, Hamas released 28-year-old Emily Damari, 23-year-old Romi Gonen, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.

Liri, now 19, was abducted a day and a half after she began her role as an observer, her cousin, IDF corporal Aya Albag shared. She was taken along with other female observers from the Nahal Oz base.

She loves travel and dreams of travelling in Japan, her family shared while advocating for her return. She also has a list of all the restaurants she wants to visit around the world.

Liri dreams of being an interior designer and studying design in Paris, she also has multiple tattoos, including a cherry blossom and a four-leaf-clover.

Her cousin said that Liri was motivated and so happy that she was assigned to the Nahal Oz Outpost.

Liri was taken captive from the Nahal Oz Outpost along with other IDF observers. Footage of the abduction, in which the women are seen held by Hamas terrorists in the bases' shelter, some of them bloodied and apparently injured, was released by the families in May.

Liri Albag and Aya Elbag (credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

What is known of Liri's time in captivity?

Footage of Liri, now 19 years old, was released by the Gaza-based terror group in early January.

"I'm only 19 years old. I have my entire life in front of me, but now my entire life has been put on pause," a visibly pale-looking Liri said in the footage while crying. "We're starting a really dark year here. The world is starting to forget about us. No one cares about us. We're living in a nightmare."

Rescued hostage Noa Argamani told Liri’s mother that they had been held as captives and treated as domestic slaves together.

Noa’s statement also revealed that Liri was being kept in an underground tunnel, being given saltwater and limited food to consume, and was only allowed to shower after a month of captivity.

Hamas announced on Friday that Karina Ariev is set to be released on Saturday in the second week of the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal. 

Last week, Hamas released 28-year-old Emily Damari, 23-year-old Romi Gonen, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher.

Karina is a master at solving puzzles, including complex ones with over a thousand pieces, her family said while advocating for her release. She is also a talented flute player and speaks four languages fluently.

 She volunteered at a kindergarten and loves children, they added. She also loves watching horror movies.

Karina is a Jerusalemite known for her love of cooking, singing, dancing, and creative writing, Ynet reported.

She was taken captive from the Nahal Oz Outpost along with other IDF observers. Footage of the abduction, in which the women are seen held by Hamas terrorists in the bases' shelter, some of them bloodied and apparently injured, was released by the families in May.

A SCREEN GRAB from footage shows the capture of Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Daniela Gilboa and Naama Levy at the Nahal Oz base on October 7. (credit: Hostages and Missing Families Forum)

What do we know about Karina's time in captivity?

Signs of life were received from Karina in January last year when Hamas released a video of her alongside Daniella Gilboa and Doron Steinbrecher, who was released from captivity Sunday in the first day of the hostage deal.

The hostage families forum permitted the release of further footage in May, although it is unclear when the clip was filmed.

In the moments before Karina was abducted on October 7, she was able to speak to her family twice, Ynet reported.

Karina’s sister revealed to the Daily Mail that she was instructed to “keep our parents safe and to be strong and not to wallow in sorrow but to continue living” should she not survive.”

"She didn't tell my parents to worry about me. She told me to take care of our parents. That's who we are. We are strong,” Sasha Ariev said. “This is the bond we have, and we are dealing with this together."

The Prison Service is operationally and logistically prepared for the process of releasing imprisoned terrorists in accordance with the framework agreed upon for the return of the hostages, it announced Friday evening.

The release of the Israeli hostages is expected to occur Saturday morning or in the early afternoon, a senior Israeli official said Friday evening.