Jerusalem, Feb 01 (V7N) — Israel and Hamas are set to carry out their fourth hostage-prisoner exchange under the ongoing ceasefire, with Hamas releasing three Israeli hostages in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners, officials confirmed.

The latest swap, scheduled for Saturday, will see the release of Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel (who also holds U.S. citizenship), and Ofer Kalderon (a French national), according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. In return, Israel will release 183 Palestinian detainees, more than double the initially reported figure of 90, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club said.

The ceasefire, which began on January 19, has led to the release of 15 Israeli hostages from Gaza, while Israel has freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including women and minors.

Among the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack was the family of Yarden Bibas—his wife Shiri and their two children, Kfir (who turned two in January) and Ariel (who turned five in August). Hamas has claimed the mother and children were killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023, but Israeli officials have not confirmed this.

“Hamas, where are the Bibas babies?” the Israeli foreign ministry posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, renewing demands for answers.

The Bibas family wrote on Instagram: "Our Yarden is supposed to return tomorrow, and we are so excited, but Shiri and the children still haven't come home."

Saturday’s exchange will be the second this week and the fourth overall. Previous swaps have been tense, particularly Thursday’s exchange in Khan Yunis, where chaotic scenes unfolded.

Television footage showed hostage Arbel Yehud appearing visibly distressed as masked gunmen struggled to clear a path for her through crowds. The disorder prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to condemn the situation as “shocking.”

Following the chaos, Israel briefly delayed its scheduled prisoner release in protest. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urged all parties to ensure better security conditions for future exchanges.

“The security of these operations must be assured, and we urge improvements in the future,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said.

On Thursday, Israel freed 110 Palestinian inmates from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, including former militant commander Zakaria Zubeidi, 49, who received a hero’s welcome in Ramallah.

Zubeidi addressed a gathering on Friday, stating, “The situation of the prisoners is very difficult, and we hope for their urgent release.”

Meanwhile, sources told AFP that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is expected to reopen after Saturday’s exchange, allowing injured Palestinians to be evacuated for medical treatment.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, confirmed that the EU had deployed a monitoring mission at the Rafah crossing to facilitate humanitarian aid and medical evacuations.

The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, is in its initial 42-day phase, during which 33 Israeli hostages are set to be released in exchange for approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.

Negotiations for the second phase of the deal are set to begin Monday, Israeli officials said, with discussions focusing on the release of remaining captives and a potential pathway to a more lasting ceasefire.

END/WD/RH/