The three Israeli hostages set to be freed from Gaza are Arbel Yehoud (left), Agam Berger (center), and Gadi Moses. CNN
Three Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals are set to be freed from Gaza on Thursday as part of the ongoing hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the names of the Israeli hostages: Arbel Yehoud (29), Agam Berger (19), and Gadi Moses (80). The identities of the five Thai citizens have not been disclosed.
As part of the agreement, Israel will release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 32 individuals serving life sentences and 30 minors. This exchange is part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, which aims to free 33 Israeli hostages taken captive during the October 7 attacks. So far, two rounds of releases have taken place, with Israel also committed to releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners during this phase.
Israeli officials confirmed that all three Israeli hostages set for release on Thursday are alive. Yehoud was kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz alongside her partner. Moses, a grandfather and agronomist, was also taken from the same community, which suffered significant losses during the October 7 attacks. More than a quarter of its 400 residents were either killed or kidnapped.
Osnat Peri, chairwoman of Kibbutz Nir Oz, described the release as “an exciting moment” but stressed that 29 kidnapped members of their community remain in Gaza. She vowed to continue the fight until all were returned. “Many others were murdered, homes were burned, and our entire community was uprooted,” she said. “The road to recovery is long, but we won’t give up.”
Moses’ family expressed joy over his return, thanking the public for their support. Meanwhile, Berger, an Israeli soldier, was abducted from a military base near the Nahal Oz kibbutz. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum reiterated their commitment to bringing every hostage home, whether alive for rehabilitation or deceased for proper burial.
The announcement of the upcoming releases comes amid emotional testimonies from previously freed hostages. Amit Soussana, who was released during a brief ceasefire in November, spoke in an interview about the horrors she faced in captivity. She credited fellow hostage Liri Albag, a 19-year-old Israeli soldier freed last Saturday, with saving her life.
Soussana recounted being held in solitary confinement for three weeks before being moved to another location. There, she met other hostages who warned her about a particularly violent captor. He allegedly assaulted her, threatened to kill her, and at one point tied her upside down between two sofas while beating her.
Soussana revealed that her captors mistakenly believed she was an IDF officer. Albag, whom she described as “a force” and “something special,” intervened on her behalf, convincing the captors that she was a civilian. Eventually, the two women were separated, and Soussana was transferred to Hamas’ underground tunnel network before being released.
As the hostage exchanges continue, families remain hopeful, but many stress that the fight is far from over.
