Hamas names three Israeli hostages for weekend release

Hamas announced it would release three hostages, including Sagui Dekel-Chen, an Israeli-American with ties to Sarasota, as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel. This release follows intense mediation efforts by Egypt and Qatar to uphold the US-backed ceasefire established last month. In exchange for the hostages, Israel is expected to release over 300 Palestinian prisoners. The hostages have been in captivity since the October 7 attack, with significant attention on Dekel-Chen, whose family has been deeply affected by his absence. The release will mark the sixth swap since the ceasefire commenced, despite previous threats from Hamas to halt such exchanges due to alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire terms. Saudi Arabia is also leading efforts to develop a future plan for Gaza, aiming to include international participation in reconstruction efforts without displacing its residents.