The families of Israeli hostages still held by the Hamas militant group have released the names of three hostages expected to be freed on Saturday.

Captors subjected the hostages to physical and psychological torment, according to those recently released under a ceasefire deal.

Israel has announced the names of the three hostages set to be released Saturday, in what would be the sixth exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire deal that came into effect last month.

The militant group Hamas says it will free three Israeli hostages as planned this weekend. That's a reversal of its previous announcement and it raises the prospect of resolving a major dispute over the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

As Israel anxiously awaits the possible release of more hostages held by Hamas on Saturday, Niva Wenkert recalls a video of her son Omer half-naked, tied to a truck and being beaten, one of about 250 people abducted by Palestinian militants.