Hamas to release U.S. citizen with two other hostages on Saturday
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President Trump (C) and Vice President JD Vance (R) meet with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on Feb. 4. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Hamas published on Friday the list of the three hostages who will be released on Saturday as a part of the Gaza ceasefire deal, among them U.S. citizen Sagui Dekel-Chen.
Why it matters: Hamas' decision to comply with the deal's original terms should end the standoff that imperiled the fragile ceasefire agreement — unless President Trump has other plans.
- The Israeli prime minister's office confirmed Hamas' statement and said the list of hostages is acceptable.
- "We managed to postpone the crisis for next week," a senior Israeli official said.
Yes, but: Shortly after the Israeli prime minister's office issued a statement that the list is acceptable, it released a second statement claiming there was a "typo" in the previous statement and that Israel doesn't express any position regarding the list Hamas published.
- An Israeli official said Netanyahu doesn't wan't to say publicly and officially that he accepts the release of only three hostages tomorrow when Trump still demands the release of all hostages by Saturday.
Catch up quick: Hamas said Monday that it would indefinitely postpone the release of three hostages scheduled for this weekend, alleging Israel was violating the ceasefire. Refusing to release the hostages would be a breach of the agreement.
- President Trump responded by declaring that the ceasefire should end if Hamas does not release all 76 hostages it is still holding — a demand that goes far beyond what is laid out in the agreement brokered by former President Biden's administration.
- Netanyahu alluded to those remarks by Trump and warned that Israel will end the ceasefire and resume the war in Gaza if Hamas doesn't "return our hostages by Saturday at noon."
- Nevertheless, Netanyahu did not specifically align himself with Trump and did not say how many hostages he expects to be released on Saturday.
- After 48 hours of negotiations between Hamas and the Egyptian and Qatari mediators, the group agreed on Thursday to walk back its threat to suspend the hostage release.
What to watch: It is not clear whether Trump is going to accept the release of only three hostages or call for the end of the ceasefire when his demand isn't met.
What's next: Other than Dekel-Chen, Hamas is still holding five American hostages. One, Edan Alexander, is still alive.
- The remaining five hostages will only be released if Israel and Hamas reach an agreement on the second phase of the hostage and ceasefire deal.
- Negotiations on the second phase of the deal were supposed to begin last week, but no serious talks have taken place.
Go deeper: Netanyahu sees Trump's Gaza gambits as Israel's big chance
