New round of Hamas hostage releases announced as Israel agrees to let Palestinians return to northern Gaza
Hamas will release another round of hostages on Thursday, including Arbel Yehoud, after agreeing with Israel that displaced Palestinians will be allowed back into northern Gaza from today.
As well as Ms Yehoud, who was expected to be released yesterday, two more hostages including soldier Agam Berger will be released, according to the office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Three additional hostages will also be released on Saturday under the new agreement.
Hamas also gave the government a list showing the status of all hostages due to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire.
In return, displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza have been allowed to travel back to northern areas.
Israel will also give Hamas a list of 400 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons who have been arrested since 7 October 2023, according to a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry.
Tens of thousands of people were blocked from returning to northern Gaza after Israel refused to open checkpoints because it said Hamas had breached the ceasefire agreement.
Israel had insisted that Ms Yehoud be released on Saturday because she is a woman, a civilian and alive, and therefore should have been in the top category of hostages freed, according to the agreement.
When she wasn’t, the checkpoints remained closed.
Although Ms Yehoud wasn’t released, four Israeli female soldiers were reunited with families and 200 freed Palestinian prisoners were greeted as heroes in the West Bank.
Meanwhile Donald Trump’s suggestion that Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinians from Gaza has been dismissed by both countries.
The US President suggested the idea on Saturday, urging the two nations to accept the largely homeless Palestinian population, so that “we just clean out that whole thing” adding that “it’s literally a demolition site right now”.
His comments have also annoyed his Arab-American supporters in America.
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There were frustrations over the weekend, prior to Israel letting Palestinians return to northern Gaza.
“A sea of people is waiting for a signal to move back to Gaza City and the north,” said Tamer al Burai, a displaced person from Gaza City.
“This is the deal that was signed, isn’t it? Many of those people have no idea whether their houses back home are still standing.
“But they want to go regardless, they want to put up the tents next to the rubble of their houses, they want to feel home,” he told the Reuters news agency via a chat app.