Hamas says eight Israeli hostages due to be released are dead as displaced Palestinians head home

Hamas informed the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that eight hostages, who were originally scheduled to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza, have died. Hamas provided a long-awaited list of hostages to be released within the first six weeks of the Gaza ceasefire, stating that 25 of the 33 hostages are still alive.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer confirmed that the remaining eight hostages have died. "The families have been informed of the situation of their loved ones," Mr. Mencer told reporters. This means that out of the 26 hostages who were not released under the first phase of the agreement, only 18 are still alive. Since the ceasefire began on January 19th, seven women have been released in exchange for over 290 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Tel Aviv announced on Sunday that Hamas had agreed to release female civilian, Abel Yehud, female soldier, Agam Berger, and another hostage on Thursday. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians poured along the main routes to northern Gaza after Israel opened roadblocks following the agreement by the militant group Hamas to hand over Ms. Yehud and two other hostages. Large crowds, some carrying babies and others with luggage on their shoulders, headed north along a road by the Mediterranean coast. Tens of thousands of Palestinians waited at roadblocks for two days before being allowed to return home.

Witnesses in northern Gaza said that the first residents arrived in Gaza City on Monday morning after the first crossing point in central Gaza opened at 7 a.m. local time. "It feels like I was reborn, we have won again," said Palestinian mother, Umm Muhammad Ali, who was part of a long line moving slowly along the coastal road. Another crossing point opened about three hours later, allowing vehicles to pass. Children wearing thick coats, carrying backpacks, and holding hands, men pushing elderly people in wheelchairs, and families posed for selfies along the coastal road, guided by Hamas-employed officials wearing red vests. Palestinians were waiting to travel by car along Salahuddin Road back to their homes in northern Gaza.

Hamas officials and ordinary Gazans rejected US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Jordan and Egypt should receive Palestinians from the war-ravaged enclave, rekindling long-held Palestinian fears of being permanently displaced from their homes. Israel's Walla news website reported on Monday, citing three unnamed Israeli and American sources, that Netanyahu plans to meet with Trump at the White House next week. Under the terms of the ceasefire, residents of northern Gaza were supposed to return over the weekend. The president proposed a plan to "clean up" the Palestinian enclave, which has been devastated by the 15-month conflict between Israel and Hamas. But Israel said Hamas failed to release Ms. Yehud and left its forces in the Netzarim corridor, a narrow strip of land that runs through the southern part of Gaza City, and therefore Hamas violated the agreement. "The Prime Minister reiterates that Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement. We will continue to work for the return of all our hostages, both living and dead," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

As news of the opening of the crossing points spread, thousands of displaced families cheered in shelters and tent camps. "My heart is pounding, I thought I would never come back," said Osama, a 50-year-old civil servant and father of five, upon arriving in Gaza City. "Whether the ceasefire is successful or not, we will never leave Gaza City and the north again, even if Israel sends a tank for each of us, there will be no more displacement." A Palestinian told Reuters that they hoped the war was now over and that everything would remain calm. The move, brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, will allow about 650,000 Palestinians in the central and southern Gaza Strip to return to their homes in the north of the enclave, much of which has been destroyed by 15 months of Israeli airstrikes and ground offensives. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive.

According to Israeli statistics, Hamas kidnapped about 250 hostages during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people. This sparked the latest bloodshed in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Currently, under a fragile ceasefire agreement, fighting has temporarily ceased. Palestinians are on their way back to their homes in northern Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians waited at roadblocks for two days before being allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza, expressing frustration after Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement and refusing to open the crossing points. A statement from the Israeli military warned residents of Gaza not to approach the positions of Israeli forces. "The transfer of militants or weapons through these routes to the northern Gaza Strip will be considered a violation of the agreement. Do not cooperate with any terrorist entities that may try to use you to transfer weapons or contraband," the military said.

The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said that those returning to the north need at least 135,000 tents and shelters as they try to rebuild their lives in their war-torn homes. Lebanese people are again trying to return to their villages along the southern border. According to official media and AFP journalists, residents of southern Lebanon tried to return to their villages on Monday, accompanied by the army, a day after Israeli shelling killed more than 20 people in the area. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that Lebanon has agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel until February 18 after the Israeli military missed the deadline to withdraw on Sunday.

AFP journalists saw dozens of vehicles carrying families heading towards the border town, a day after hundreds of residents tried to return home unsuccessfully. The Lebanese Ministry of Health said that on Monday, in the village of Bani Hayyan, "a new attack by the Israeli enemy" resulted in two injuries, including a child, "as citizens tried to return to their towns." Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee called on residents of southern Lebanon to "wait" before returning. The Israeli military said that soldiers "fired warning shots to eliminate threats" where "suspicious people were found approaching the forces." On Sunday, the Lebanese army said it would "continue to accompany residents" back to the south and "protect them from Israeli attacks."