Hamas will hand over hostage Arbel Yehud, two other hostages by Friday, says Qatari Foreign Ministry
Qatar said Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to return from southern Gaza to the enclave's northern regions starting Monday morning.
“Starting tomorrow morning, Monday, Israeli authorities will allow displaced residents in Gaza to return from the southern areas to the northern regions of the (Gaza) Strip,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said in a statement Sunday.
“As part of ongoing efforts led by mediators, an agreement has been reached between the two parties under which Hamas will hand over the (Israeli) hostage Arbel Yehud and two other hostages by next Friday. Additionally, Hamas will release three more hostages on Saturday,” added Al-Ansari.
He noted that Israel will submit a list of 400 Palestinians arrested since Oct. 7, 2023 every Sunday during the first phase.
The agreement also includes Hamas providing information on the number of hostages to be released as part of the first phase of the agreement, said the statement.
Hamas said in a statement that it had "submitted to the mediators on Sunday evening the required information about the list of hostages who will be released throughout the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, as stipulated in the agreement."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced late Sunday that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement to release six Israeli captives, including civilian hostage Arbel Yehud, in exchange for allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.
"Following negotiations, we will carry out another round of the prisoner release process on Thursday,” said a statement from Netanyahu's office.
"On Thursday, Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger and another unidentified captive will be released,” added the office.
"At the same time, three additional captives will be released on Saturday as per the agreement,” the statement said.
Netanyahu's statement noted that Tel Aviv had received from Hamas a list detailing the status of all captives to be released in the first phase.
"Under the agreement, Israel will allow Gaza residents to cross back to the northern part of the Strip starting tomorrow morning (Monday)," it added.
Later in a statement, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that Palestinians will be allowed to return on foot to northern Gaza via the Netzarim route (central) and Al-Rashid Street (west) starting at 7 a.m. local time (0500GMT).
He added that vehicle travel to northern Gaza will be permitted after inspection through Salah Al-Din Road (east) starting at 9 a.m. (0700GMT).
Adraee warned against "approaching Israeli army forces at any of their positions or deployments in the southern Gaza area, near the Rafah crossing, or in the Philadelphi Corridor area."
He also cautioned against "swimming, fishing, diving and entering the sea in the coming days."
The first six-week phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Jan. 19, suspending Israel's genocidal war that has killed more than 47,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 111,400 since Oct. 7, 2023.
The three-phase ceasefire agreement includes a prisoner exchange and sustained calm, aiming for a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of untold numbers of elderly people, women and children.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
