"Arbel Yehud is scheduled for release this week."Hamas will release six hostages this week, and Israel will allow Gazans to return to their homes in the north starting Monday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The hostages include Arbel Yehud, a civilian at the center of a dispute that delayed Israel’s decision to permit Gazans to return north.
On Saturday, Hamas released four soldiers but did not release Ms. Yehud. Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, which stipulated that Israeli civilians were to be released first in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Since the ceasefire agreement took effect, seven hostages and over 200 prisoners have been freed.
"Palestinians await permission to return to their homes."Thousands of displaced Palestinians have gathered at a military barrier for two days, attempting to reach northern Gaza.
The ceasefire agreement, along with a deal for hostage and prisoner releases, came into effect on 19 January. Two exchanges have already been completed.
In the third exchange, Hamas is set to release Arbel Yehud and two other hostages on Friday, followed by three more on Saturday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar, which mediated the talks.
Starting Monday, Israel will permit Palestinians to move north and will also release additional Palestinian prisoners later in the week.
Under the ceasefire terms, Palestinians were originally scheduled to travel north of the Netzarim Corridor, a 7-kilometer (4.3 miles) Israeli-controlled strip cutting off northern Gaza, on Saturday. However, images now show large crowds waiting to pass.
"We're sleeping in the streets," Nireem Musabeh told the BBC at the checkpoint on Sunday. "We can't go home, and every time we try, they shoot at us." The 42-year-old traveled from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza but was displaced from her home in Shejaiya, in the south.
Diab Shehbari, who had been at the checkpoint since Saturday evening, said, "All night, the kids were screaming because of the cold—we lit a fire and covered them."
Israel announced that residents would be allowed to return to northern Gaza from 07:00 (09:00 GMT) on Monday, with vehicle access permitted two hours later. This decision came after the dispute over Ms. Yehud’s release was resolved.
Qatari and Egyptian mediators played a key role in ending the standoff. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson announced the breakthrough moments before Prime Minister Netanyahu. Israel had demanded proof from Hamas that Ms. Yehud was alive, which was reportedly provided to the Egyptians on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinians from Gaza, describing the area as a "demolition site." The proposal was condemned by Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and rejected by both Jordan and Egypt.
The January ceasefire ended the war that began after Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 47,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel's offensive.
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