Six hostages to be freed and Gazans to be allowed north - Israel - Voice of Asia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Hamas will release six hostages this week, while Israel will allow Gazan residents to return to their northern homes starting Monday. Among these six hostages is Aber Yehud, a civilian whose case previously caused Israel to delay the return of Gazan residents to the north.

Previously, Hamas released four soldiers on Saturday, but Ms. Yehud was not among them. Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, under which Israeli civilians should be released first in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Since the ceasefire took effect, seven hostages and more than 200 prisoners have been released.

Thousands of displaced Palestinians gathered for two days at military barriers blocking their progress, trying to return to northern Gaza. Netanyahu and Qatar, which is mediating the negotiations, stated that in the third exchange, Hamas would release Ms. Yehud and two other hostages on Friday, followed by three more hostages on Saturday. Israel will allow Palestinians to move north starting Monday and release more Palestinian prisoners later this week.

According to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Palestinians were originally scheduled to be allowed to travel north of the Netzarim Corridor on Saturday, a seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) long strip controlled by Israel that separates northern Gaza from the rest of the territory. Images showed large crowds waiting to pass through. A woman named Nilim Musabeh told the BBC on Sunday, "We slept in the street, we can't go home, and every time we try to go home, they shoot at us."

Israel has now stated that, following the resolution of the controversy surrounding Ms. Yehud, residents will be allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip starting at 07:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday, with vehicles permitted two hours later. Qatari and Egyptian mediators were involved in efforts to end the dispute. The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman announced the news minutes before the Israeli Prime Minister announced the breakthrough. Israel had requested that mediators provide evidence from Hamas that Ms. Yehud was still alive. According to the BBC, this evidence appears to have been provided to the Egyptians as early as Saturday night.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated earlier on Sunday that he wanted Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza, describing Gaza as a "demolition site." Hamas and the Palestinian Authority both condemned the idea, while Jordan and Egypt also rejected the proposal. The January ceasefire agreement halted the war that began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has stated that more than 47,200 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the Israeli offensive.