An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows displaced Palestinians gathering with their belongings near a roadblock on the al Rashid Street, blocked by Israel as they wait to return to their homes in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. AP
Qatar’s statement early Monday says Hamas will hand over the captive, Arbel Yehoud, along with two other Israelis before Friday. And on Monday, Israeli occupation forces will allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.
The office of Israel’s prime minister in a statement says the release of the prisoner held in Gaza will take place on Thursday and confirms that Palestinians can move north on Monday.
Under the ceasefire, Israel on Saturday was to begin allowing Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza. But Israel put that on hold because of Yehoud, who Israel said should have been released on Saturday.
Hamas accused Israel of violating the agreement. In a statement, the resistance group said it had told mediators — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — that Yehoud was alive and provided guarantees that she would be released.
A spokesman for Gaza’s second-largest resistance group, Islamic Jihad, later said the dispute over Yehoud had been settled.
Mohamed al-Hajj Mousa said the group told mediators she will be released before.
Meanwhile, Israel kept thousands of Palestinians from returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Sunday, while its forces fired on the crowd, killing two people and wounding nine, including a child.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel on Saturday was to begin allowing Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza through the Netzarim corridor bisecting the territory.
Crowds of people carrying their belongings filled a main road leading to a closed Israeli checkpoint. “We have been in agony for a year and a half,” said Nadia Qasem.
Fadi al-Sinwar, also displaced from Gaza City, said “the fate of more than a million people is linked to one person,” referring to the Israeli hostage, Arbel Yehoud.
“See how valuable we are? We are worthless," he said.
The ceasefire is aimed at ending the 15-month Israeli genocidal war, and releasing Israelis still held in Gaza in return for hundreds of Palestinian held in Israeli jails.
The ceasefire's first phase runs until early March and includes the release of 33 Israelis and nearly 2,000 Palestinians. The second — and far more difficult — phase, has yet to be negotiated.
Israel's has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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