Israel is preparing to receive on Saturday four female soldiers held hostage by Hamas, an Israeli official and Israeli source familiar with the matter said. Hamas said earlier that it intends to release Karina Ariev,

The Palestinian militant movement Hamas is expected to release four female Israeli soldiers on Saturday in exchange for a group of Palestinian prisoners under a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the 15-month-old war in Gaza.

A group representing the relatives of Israelis held in Gaza confirmed that the four hostages set to be released by Hamas on Saturday are female soldiers.