Hamas will release six Israeli captives and hand over the bodies of four others this week as a part of the Gaza ceasefire settlement, the group’s chief within the enclave stated.
Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Palestinian group in Gaza stated the handover of the bodies will happen in Gaza on Thursday and that six residing Israeli captives will likely be launched on Saturday.
“Hamas has confirmed, together with the resistance, its seriousness in implementing the settlement with full accountability,” he stated on Tuesday. “We stress the necessity to oblige the occupation to implement all provisions of the settlement with out procrastination.
The workplace of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that talks in Egypt resulted in an settlement on the release of six residing Israeli captives on Saturday as a part of the primary part of the ceasefire cope with Hamas.
Israel may also obtain the bodies of four useless captives on Thursday, earlier than one other four bodies later subsequent week, the assertion stated.
The primary part of the Gaza truce, which was brokered by the USA, Qatar and Egypt, is due to expire on March 1. Negotiations on the subsequent levels, together with a everlasting finish to the struggle, haven’t but begun.
Reporting from Amman, Jordan, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut stated the releases could possibly be a significant growth concerning negotiations on part two of the ceasefire.
“Hamas stated they’re doing this as a result of they need the second part to happen. The Israelis have been asking for this for a couple of week now, saying they need the bodies of some captives to be launched ahead of the tip of part one,” she stated.
Salhut famous that the bodies of members of the Bibas household have been anticipated to be handed over on Thursday. In November 2023, Hamas introduced the household was killed in an Israeli air strike.
Husband and father Yarden Bibas was launched final month as a part of part one of many ceasefire deal.
“The Israeli army had stated they’d nice considerations over the destiny of the mom and her two youngsters, however didn’t affirm whether or not they have been killed. Hamas now confirms they are going to be releasing the bodies,” Salhut added.
Former director normal of the Israeli International Ministry Alon Liel, identified that Hamas returning bodies of the Israeli captives to the Crimson Cross, “may have a devastating impact on the Israeli public.”
He stated it will be a day of mourning in Israel which might shock the individuals.
“However it’s nonetheless higher than getting nothing from Hamas. We’d love to have all of the residing hostages and the bodies again in Israel as quickly as doable,” Liel stated.
Israel seeks ‘most flexibility’ in talks
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire deal in Gaza on January 19, after greater than 460 days of a struggle that has devastated the Palestinian territory.
Nonetheless, Israel has violated the ceasefire in Gaza 266 occasions, killing at the least 132 individuals, Palestinian safety sources instructed Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
For the reason that ceasefire took impact, Israeli leaders have additionally mentioned the potential for an imminent return to preventing in Gaza, with far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s cupboard pushing for a army occupation of the enclave, whereas US President Donald Trump has known as for the compelled displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Mohamad Elmasry, a professor on the Doha Institute for Graduate Research, instructed Al Jazeera, stated Israel is on the lookout for “most flexibility” prematurely of potential talks over the second part of the truce cope with Hamas.
“On the one hand, there are whispers that at the least some within the Israeli authorities need to transfer to part two of the Gaza ceasefire and [US President] Donald Trump’s Center East envoy stated he’s assured there will likely be a part two. All of that appears to be constructive,” Elmasry stated.
“On the opposite hand, Israel and the US are in a method speaking from either side of their mouth as a result of they’re nonetheless speaking in regards to the full eradication of Hamas and Trump’s compelled expulsion and ethnic cleaning plan for Gaza,” Elmasry added.
On Tuesday, Israeli International Minister Gideon Saar stated that Israel will start negotiations “this week” on the second part of the ceasefire deal in Gaza.
“We had yesterday night time a safety cupboard assembly. We determined to open negotiations on the second part. It’ll occur this week,” Saar stated of the talks, which have been initially supposed to begin on February 3.
He added that Israel calls for “a complete demilitarisation of Gaza and no presence of the Palestinian Authority”.
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