Israel, Hamas reach deal to release hostages. Palestinians to return to Gaza Strip

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday that a breakthrough agreement had been reached with Hamas to release additional hostages starting this Thursday. The announcement also included the news that Palestinians would be allowed to return to the northern part of the Gaza Strip beginning Monday morning.

The agreement, which was mediated with the help of Qatar, is seen as a significant step forward in easing the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu was praised for his firm and determined negotiations which led to Hamas backing down and agreeing to conduct an additional phase of hostage releases.

According to the statement from Netanyahu’s office, Israeli citizen Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger, and one additional hostage will be released on Thursday. Three more hostages are set to be released on Saturday as part of the agreement. It was confirmed that Hamas had handed over a list specifying the condition of the hostages expected to be released in the first stage, including the number of living and deceased hostages.

Israel believes that most of the 26 remaining hostages are alive, which corresponds with the list provided by Hamas. The Prime Minister reiterated that Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement and will continue to push for the return of all hostages, dead or alive. The White House also released a statement affirming that the arrangement between Israel and Lebanon would be monitored by the U.S. and would remain in effect until February 18, 2025.

The agreement between Israel and Hamas comes after accusations from Israel that Hamas had changed the order of hostages it had planned to release. This led Israeli forces to block thousands of Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza. Israeli forces also announced that they would not withdraw from southern Lebanon until the Lebanese government fully implemented its responsibilities, despite the agreed ceasefire.

President Donald Trump’s recent comments calling for Egypt and Jordan to accept refugees from Gaza to “clean out” the region also added to the tensions. Trump suggested that Egypt and Jordan take on more Palestinian refugees to alleviate the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Overall, the agreement between Israel and Hamas marks a significant step towards peace and stability in the region. The release of hostages and the return of Palestinians to Gaza are positive developments that will hopefully pave the way for further cooperation between the two parties.