Hamas will release six Israeli captives and put the bodies of four this week as part of the Gaza cease-fire agreement, the group leader said in the enclave.
Khalil al-Hayya, leader of the Palestinian group in Gaza, said that the transfer of bodies would take place in Gaza on Thursday and that six living Israeli captives will be released on Saturday.
“Hamas has proven, as well as resistance, its severity in the implementation of the agreement with full responsibility,” he said on Tuesday. “We underline the need to oblige the occupation to implement all the provisions of the agreement without procrastination.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that talks in Egypt led to an agreement on the release of six living Israeli captives on Saturday as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Israel will also receive the bodies of four died captives Thursday, before four other bodies later next week, according to the press release.
The first phase of the Truce of Gaza, negotiated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, is expected to expire on March 1. Negotiations on the following stages, including a permanent end of war, have not yet started.
Amman’s reports, Jordan, Hamdah Salhut of Al Jazeera have said that outings could be a major development concerning negotiations on phase two of the ceasefire.
“Hamas said they were doing this because they wanted the second phase to take place. The Israelis have been asking for it for about a week now, saying they wanted the bodies of certain captives to be released earlier than the end of phase one, “she said.
Salhut noted that the bodies of the Bibas family members were to be handed over on Thursday. In November 2023, Hamas announced that the family had been killed in an Israeli air strike.
The husband and father Yarden Bibas was released last month as part of the first phase of the cease-fire agreement.
“The Israeli army said they had a lot of concerns about the fate of the mother and her two children, but had not confirmed if they had been killed. Hamas now confirms that they will publish the bodies, ”added Salhut.
The former director general of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alon Liel, stressed that the organizations of return from Israeli captives of Hamas to the Red Cross, “could have a devastating effect on the Israeli public”.
He said it would be a day of mourning in Israel that would shock the people.
“But it’s even better than getting nothing from Hamas. We would like to have all living hostages and bodies in Israel as soon as possible, “said Liel.
Israel is looking for “maximum flexibility” in talks
Israel and Hamas accepted a cease-fire agreement in Gaza on January 19, after more than 460 days of a war that devastated Palestinian territory.
However, Israel violated the ceasefire in Gaza 266 times, killing at least 132 people, Al Jazeera told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
Since the ceasefire has entered into force, Israeli leaders also discussed the possibility of an imminent return to the fighting in Gaza, with far-right ministers in the cabinet of Netanyahu which pushes for a military occupation From the enclave, while American president Donald Trump called for the forced displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza.
Mohamad Elmasry, professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera, said that Israel was looking for “maximum flexibility” before potential interviews on the second phase of the truce agreement with Hamas.
“On the one hand, there are whispers that at least some in the Israeli government want to go to phase two of the ceasefire of Gaza and [US President] Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy said he was convinced that there will be a phase two. All of this seems positive, “said Elmasry.
“On the other hand, Israel and the United States speak in a way on both sides of their mouths because they always speak of the complete eradication of Hamas and the forced expulsion of Trump and the ethnic cleaning plan For Gaza, “added Elmasry.
On Tuesday, the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar said that Israel would start the “this week” negotiations during the second phase of the cease-fire agreement in Gaza.
“We had a meeting of the security firm last night. We decided to open negotiations on the second phase. This will happen this week, “said Saar about talks, who were initially starting on February 3.
He added that Israel demands “a total demilitarization of Gaza and no presence of the Palestinian authority”.
