Hamas will launch six Israeli captives and hand over the our bodies of 4 others this week as a part of the Gaza ceasefire settlement, the group’s chief within the enclave mentioned.
Khalil al-Hayya, head of the Palestinian group in Gaza mentioned the handover of the our 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 duty,” he mentioned 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 discharge of six residing Israeli captives on Saturday as a part of the primary section of the ceasefire take care of Hamas.
Israel may even obtain the our bodies of 4 lifeless captives on Thursday, earlier than one other 4 our bodies later subsequent week, the assertion mentioned.
The primary section of the Gaza truce, which was brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt, is because of expire on March 1. Negotiations on the subsequent levels, together with a everlasting finish to the conflict, haven’t but begun.
Reporting from Amman, Jordan, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut mentioned the releases may very well be a significant improvement relating to negotiations on section two of the ceasefire.
“Hamas mentioned they’re doing this as a result of they need the second section to happen. The Israelis have been asking for this for a few week now, saying they need the our bodies of some captives to be launched ahead of the top of section one,” she mentioned.
Salhut famous that the our bodies of members of the Bibas household had 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 section one of many ceasefire deal.
“The Israeli navy had mentioned that they had nice issues over the destiny of the mom and her two kids, however didn’t affirm whether or not they had been killed. Hamas now confirms they are going to be releasing the our bodies,” Salhut added.
Former director common of the Israeli Overseas Ministry Alon Liel, identified that Hamas returning our bodies of the Israeli captives to the Purple Cross, “might have a devastating impact on the Israeli public.”
He mentioned it might be a day of mourning in Israel which might shock the individuals.
“However it’s nonetheless higher than getting nothing from Hamas. We might like to have all of the residing hostages and the our bodies again in Israel as quickly as attainable,” Liel mentioned.
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 conflict that has devastated the Palestinian territory.
Nevertheless, Israel has violated the ceasefire in Gaza 266 occasions, killing at the very least 132 individuals, Palestinian safety sources instructed Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
Because the ceasefire took impact, Israeli leaders have additionally mentioned the opportunity of an imminent return to preventing in Gaza, with far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s cupboard pushing for a navy occupation of the enclave, whereas US President Donald Trump has known as for the pressured displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Mohamad Elmasry, a professor on the Doha Institute for Graduate Research, instructed Al Jazeera, mentioned Israel is searching for “most flexibility” upfront of potential talks over the second section of the truce take care of Hamas.
“On the one hand, there are whispers that at the very least some within the Israeli authorities wish to transfer to section two of the Gaza ceasefire and [US President] Donald Trump’s Center East envoy mentioned he’s assured there will likely be a section two. All of that appears to be optimistic,” Elmasry mentioned.
“Alternatively, Israel and the US are in a approach 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 pressured expulsion and ethnic cleaning plan for Gaza,” Elmasry added.
On Tuesday, Israeli Overseas Minister Gideon Saar mentioned that Israel will start negotiations “this week” on the second phase of the ceasefire deal in Gaza.
“We had yesterday night time a safety cupboard assembly. We determined to open negotiations on the second section. It should occur this week,” Saar mentioned of the talks, which had been initially supposed to start out on February 3.
He added that Israel calls for “a complete demilitarisation of Gaza and no presence of the Palestinian Authority”.
