Israel and Hamas have reached an agrement under which six living Israeli hostages will be released on Saturday, and the bodies of eight others will be handed over this week and next.
The agreement reached in Cairo on Tuesday was confirmed by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Originally three Israelis were scheduled to be freed on Saturday but Hamas said all six hostages still alive would be released. Four bodies of deceased hostages will be handed over this Thursday followed by four more on Thursday next week, Netanyahu’s statement said.
The bodies will include members from the Bibas family, Khalil al-Hayya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, said in a televised speech on Tuesday.
Hamas militants captured Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their two children: Ariel, who was 4 and baby Kfir who was 9 months old. Yarden was released on Feb 1 and was holding out hope that his wife and children were still alive. Hamas had said they were dead but Israel said it was unable to confirm the claim.
The fragile Gaza truce took effect on Jan 19 after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
Thirty-three Israeli hostages were due to be released under the first phase, with 19 freed so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners. Of the remaining 14, Israel says eight are dead.
Five Thai nationals held in Gaza since the 2023 attack have also been released outside the scope of the truce deal.
A Palestinian source close to the negotiations said mediators had presented the request for the new releases, adding they aimed “for this step to create a positive atmosphere, insisting on the continuation of the ceasefire”.
The first phase of the truce is due to expire on March 1, and negotiations on the next stages, including a permanent end to the war, have not yet begun.
The truce deal has so far held despite both sides trading accusations of violations, and despite the strain placed on it by US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned plan to take control of Gaza and relocate its population.
Saudi Arabia is set to host the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Friday to present their own plan for Gaza’s reconstruction while ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land.
The agreement reached in Cairo on Tuesday was confirmed by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Originally three Israelis were scheduled to be freed on Saturday but Hamas said all six hostages still alive would be released. Four bodies of deceased hostages will be handed over this Thursday followed by four more on Thursday next week, Netanyahu’s statement said.
The bodies will include members from the Bibas family, Khalil al-Hayya, the Hamas leader in Gaza, said in a televised speech on Tuesday.
Hamas militants captured Yarden and Shiri Bibas and their two children: Ariel, who was 4 and baby Kfir who was 9 months old. Yarden was released on Feb 1 and was holding out hope that his wife and children were still alive. Hamas had said they were dead but Israel said it was unable to confirm the claim.
The fragile Gaza truce took effect on Jan 19 after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
Thirty-three Israeli hostages were due to be released under the first phase, with 19 freed so far in exchange for more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners. Of the remaining 14, Israel says eight are dead.
Five Thai nationals held in Gaza since the 2023 attack have also been released outside the scope of the truce deal.
A Palestinian source close to the negotiations said mediators had presented the request for the new releases, adding they aimed “for this step to create a positive atmosphere, insisting on the continuation of the ceasefire”.
The first phase of the truce is due to expire on March 1, and negotiations on the next stages, including a permanent end to the war, have not yet begun.
The truce deal has so far held despite both sides trading accusations of violations, and despite the strain placed on it by US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned plan to take control of Gaza and relocate its population.
Saudi Arabia is set to host the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Friday to present their own plan for Gaza’s reconstruction while ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land.
