GAZA CITY: Hamas stated it will alternate the our bodies of 4 Israeli hostages for greater than 600 Palestinian prisoners on Thursday (Feb 27), capping the primary section of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
America stated talks have been on observe for a second section of the ceasefire deal that has largely held however whose complexity and long-drawn-out implementation have highlighted its fragility.
In Israel on Wednesday, hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who have been killed in captivity in Gaza and had change into symbols of the nation’s hostage ordeal.
The ceasefire has largely halted the Israel-Hamas warfare sparked by the Oct 7, 2023 assault, and has seen 25 hostages launched alive to this point in alternate for lots of of prisoners.
“Mediators have knowledgeable Hamas that the (hostage-prisoner) alternate will happen on Thursday … Hamas and different resistance factions will hand over 4 our bodies of Israeli captives, and in return, Israel will launch greater than 600 Palestinian detainees,” a Hamas official informed AFP.
One other senior Hamas official stated the “alternate will occur concurrently”.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump’s high envoy on the Center East stated Israeli representatives have been en path to talks on the subsequent section of the ceasefire deal.
“We’re making loads of progress. Israel is sending a group proper now as we converse,” Steve Witkoff informed an occasion for the American Jewish Committee.
“It is both going to be in Doha or in Cairo, the place negotiations will start once more with the Egyptians and the Qataris,” he stated.
Israel has but to substantiate its launch and has not commented on whether or not it’s sending a delegation to debate the second section of the truce.
This primary section is meant to finish on Saturday, however negotiations deliberate for the remainder of the method – which have been to start in early February – haven’t but began.
Hamas has stated it is able to launch “in a single go” all of the remaining hostages through the second section.
On Sunday, the group accused Israel of endangering the Gaza truce by delaying the release of greater than 600 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel justified the delay by citing considerations over how the hostages have been freed, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing the method as “humiliating ceremonies”.
MINUTE’S SILENCE
Israel’s parliament held a minute of silence to mourn the deaths of three members of the Bibas household, in addition to different victims of the Oct 7 assault on Israel.
“Yesterday, the funeral of Oded Lifshitz befell; immediately, the funeral of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas is happening. We bear in mind all of the victims of Oct 7. We bear in mind, and we won’t neglect,” stated Amir Ohana, speaker of the Knesset.
Because the ceasefire took impact on Jan 19, Hamas has launched 25 residing hostages in public ceremonies throughout Gaza, the place masked, armed fighters have escorted the captives onto levels embellished with slogans.
Israel has launched greater than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.
The Worldwide Committee of the Crimson Cross has urged all events to hold out prisoner and hostage swaps “in a dignified and personal method”.
In Israel, the prisoners are largely seen as “terrorists” for the violent assaults they’ve carried out in opposition to civilians and safety forces.
For Palestinians, nonetheless, the releases are seen as long-delayed justice with the prisoners usually thought to be symbols of resistance in opposition to Israeli occupation.
