Israel announced on Wednesday that 11 more hostages, including five Thai nationals, will be released this week as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Hamas had provided a list of eight hostages set to be freed on Thursday, including three Israelis and five Thais. An additional three Israeli men are scheduled for release on Saturday.

The hostages named for release on Thursday include Arbel Yehud, Agam Berger, and Gadi Moses. In a statement, the Moses family expressed their joy, saying they received “wonderful news” about their loved one’s return.

The truce, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, hinges on the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. So far, Hamas has released seven hostages, while 290 Palestinian prisoners have been freed in return.

Despite the temporary pause in fighting, tensions remain high. Senior Hamas officials accused Israel of delaying crucial aid deliveries, including fuel, tents, and heavy equipment. They warned that continued delays could impact the progression of the agreement, including future prisoner exchanges.

Israel denied these allegations, with a spokesman for COGAT, the defense ministry body overseeing civil affairs in Palestinian territories, dismissing them as “totally fake news.” He claimed that 3,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza since Sunday, with the agreement stipulating 4,200 trucks over seven days.

The ceasefire agreement is structured in three phases. The first 42-day phase, currently in effect, involves the release of 33 hostages. The second phase will focus on negotiating a long-term end to the war. The final phase includes Gaza’s reconstruction and the return of the bodies of any remaining deceased hostages.

The families of hostages still held in Gaza remain hopeful that the truce will hold. Hundreds gathered at a rally in Tel Aviv, expressing their determination to keep pushing for their loved ones’ release. “We have to be optimistic. We have to keep on trying and not give up,” said 27-year-old Shakked Fainsod.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who took credit for sealing the ceasefire deal after months of stalled negotiations under his predecessor Joe Biden, has invited Netanyahu to the White House on February 4. His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Netanyahu in Israel on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Trump’s call for Palestinians to relocate to neighboring Egypt or Jordan has sparked widespread backlash. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi condemned forced displacement as an “injustice,” while Jordan’s King Abdullah II reaffirmed that Palestinians must remain on their land.

Despite the truce, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire. The UN reported that over 376,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza, many finding their homes in ruins.

“I kept a fire burning all night near the kids to keep them warm,” said Saif Al-Din Qazaat, who now sleeps in a tent next to his destroyed house. Another returnee, Zaher Al-Khour, described the lack of essential services.

“Aid is entering Gaza, but there is no water for drinking or washing dishes. There are no tents or caravans,” he said. “If the world does not help us, Gaza will suffer greatly, and diseases and famine will spread.”