MARCO LONGARI / AFP
Benjamin Netanyahu announced on the evening of Sunday January 26 that negotiations with Hamas were unblocked, allowing a new round of hostage releases this week. (Illustrative photo)
INTERNATIONAL – The first phase of the truce agreement continues. Benjamin Netanyahu announced this Sunday evening, January 26, that negotiations with Hamas were unblocked, allowing a new round of hostage releases this week. Arbel Yehud, an Israeli civilian hostage in Gaza whose fate had caused a dispute between Hamas and Israel, will be released.
Three hostages will be released on Thursday, three others on Saturday, with in exchange authorization for those displaced from Gaza to return to the north of the territory.
A list on “the situation of all hostages”
“Following intensive and determined negotiations (…), Hamas will release (…) on Thursday (…) Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger and another hostage”said the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office in a statement late at night.
“Three other hostages will be released” Saturday as planned by the first phase of the truce agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement.
“At the same time, Israel received from Hamas a list with the situation of all the hostages” releasable during this first phase, alive or dead. Hamas confirmed shortly after providing this list “to the mediators” Egyptians and Qataris.
A source within the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, told Al-Aqsa television affiliated with the movement that the increase in the number of hostages released “occurred at the initiative of the resistance”. She clarified that “the number of living prisoners was greater than expected”.
-From Monday, Israel will authorize the return of Gazans
Finally, “as part of these arrangements”Israel “will authorize from (Monday) morning” the passage of Gazans to the northern Gaza Strip, added Netanyahu’s office.
Of the “tens of thousands” displaced people, driven out by 15 months of fighting, according to Civil Defense, were prevented on Sunday by Israel from returning to northern Gaza via the Netzarim crossing, which cuts the territory in two. Images shot by AFP showed a dense crowd on Sunday around this corridor.
Israel had justified this blockage by the non-release of Arbel Yehud and the absence of a list on the situation of the 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.
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