Benyamin Netanyahu announced Sunday evening that negotiations with Hamas were unlocked, allowing the release of three hostages on Thursday, three others on Saturday, with the authorization for the displaced from Gaza to return to the north of the territory.
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“Following intensive and determined negotiations (…), Hamas will release (…) Thursday (…) Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger and another hostage,” said the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, In a statement late at night.
“Three other hostages will be released” on Saturday as planned by the first phase of the truce agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement.
“At the same time, Israel has received a list from the situation of all hostages, which is released during this first phase – alive or dead.
Hamas confirmed shortly after providing this list of Egyptian and Qataris “mediators”.
-A source in the Ezzedine Al-Qassam brigades, an armed Branch of Hamas, said on television Al-Aqsa affiliated to the movement that the increase in the number of released hostages “had occurred on the initiative of the Resistance”. She said that “the number of living prisoners was greater than expected”.
Finally, “as part of these arrangements”, Israel “will authorize from (Monday) morning the passage of the Gazaouis to the north of the Gaza Strip, added the office of Mr. Netanyahu.
“Tens of thousands” of displaced people, driven by 15 months of fighting, according to the Civil Defense, were prevented on Sunday by Israel from returning to the north of Gaza via the passage of Netzarim, which cuts the territory in two.
Images shot by AFP showed a compact crowd on Sunday near this corridor.
Israel had justified this blockage by the non-liberation of Arbel Yehud and the absence of a list on the situation of hostages.
The Israeli press release “recalls that Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement” and that his government continues to act for the return of all hostages, the living and the dead “.
