THE organisation representing the families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip was celebrating today after hearing that three male captives would be freed tomorrow under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Today’s release announcement came as Israel continues to breach the ceasefire in Lebanon and Palestinians remain under attack in the occupied West Bank.

In Gaza, Israeli officials and Hamas said that hostages Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Ofer Kalderon would be released in the fourth round of exchanges since the ceasefire paused fighting in the coastal enclave.

The Hostages Families Forum said today that it “welcomes the joyous news.”

It added: “We have both the sacred duty and moral right to bring all our brothers and sisters home. We will not give up or stop at any stage until all hostages return home, down to the last one.”

Israeli officials say around 80 hostages remain in Gaza, including three taken captive before the October 7 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered Israel’s massive and brutal military response. During the first phase of the ceasefire process, 33 hostages are set to be released.

Hamas released eight captives on Thursday in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

In eastern Lebanon, two people were killed and 10 others wounded in an Israeli strike on an unofficial border crossing early today, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it had struck “a military site that included underground infrastructure for developing and producing combat equipment, in addition to infrastructure for crossing the Syrian-Lebanese border,” used by resistance group Hezbollah in the Bekaa Valley.

Lebanon’s news agency said Israel had launched four strikes on the Janta border crossing in the eastern province of Baalbeck, while two other strikes targeted two illegal Syria-Lebanon border crossings in northern Lebanon on Thursday night and early today.

In a statement, Hezbollah legislator Ibrahim Moussawi called the strikes a very dangerous violation and a blatant and explicit aggression, adding that “the Lebanese state, represented by the presidency, the government and the army, is required to take immediate action.”

In the West Bank, at least 19 people have been killed by Israeli forces since the Gaza ceasefire was announced two weeks ago.

On Thursday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa described what is happening in the Israeli-occupied territory as “a systematic effort to destroy the foundations of the Palestinian state.”

He said: “We are witnessing military incursions into northern West Bank governorates, accompanied by killing, detention, infrastructure destruction and demolition of homes and structures.

“This demands urgent international action to put this to an end.”