Live Update
From the Liveblog of
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Israel expected to receive names later this afternoon of 1st three hostages to be released

People gather to light candles for Shabbat in Tel Aviv, Israel, after Israel's security Cabinet recommended approval of a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
Israel is expected later this afternoon to receive the names of the first three hostages to be released, the Kan public broadcaster reports.
The report says Hamas will give the names to Qatar, who will then inform Mossad Chief David Barnea.
Barnea is then expected to inform the families.
The Kan report says it is believed that the first three hostages to be freed will be civilian women and not any of the five female soldiers on the list of 33 hostages to be freed in the 42-day first phase of the Israel-Hamas deal.
The three are slated to be released at 16:00 tomorrow.