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Hamas says it will give Israel list of second group of hostages on January 24

The exchange will take place the day after the lists are swapped, said Zaher Jabarin, head of the Hamas cell in the West Bank

CAIRO, January 23. /TASS/. Hamas on Friday will give Israel a list of hostages it plans to release on January 25, said Zaher Jabarin, head of the Hamas cell in the West Bank.

"Tomorrow we will hand over to Israel the names of four hostages held by our fighters in exchange for a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for the captives," Jabarin said in comments posted to Hamas' Telegram channel.

He also confirmed that the exchange will take place the day after the lists are swapped.

According to Jabarin, the procedure for the operation of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border will be announced soon.

"We have made it crystal clear that it is up to the Egyptians and Palestinians to resolve the Rafah issue, and an agreement has already been reached," he said.

On January 21, Hamas political bureau spokesman Taher al-Nunu said four Israeli hostages will return home from Gaza on January 25.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on January 15 that thanks to the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement to hold a ceasefire in Gaza and release hostages held in the enclave. During the 42-day first phase of the deal, Hamas will release 33 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody. The second phase will include efforts to rebuild Gaza.

The ceasefire came into force on January 19. Later the same day, three Israeli women, Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were returned home. Israel released 90 Palestinian women and teenagers from its prisons.