“ Israel is preventing tens of thousands of displaced people from returning to the north of the Strip ,” aid workers in Gaza said, after thousands of Palestinians gathered on the coastal road in central Gaza, waiting to head north, videos on social media and Palestinian media showed.
The agreement signed in Doha between Hamas and Israel provides for the IDF to withdraw from part of the Netzarim Corridor, but the failure to release civilian hostage Arbel Yehud has blocked the ability of displaced people to return home . Israel has said it will not allow Gazans to move until Hamas frees Yehud, who was supposed to be released yesterday. Hamas has also not provided a list of hostages who are expected to be freed at this stage of the ceasefire and who are still alive.
In fact, on Saturday, Hamas released four Israeli soldiers and Israel freed 200 Palestinians. But the conditions, according to which Hamas would have to first free the soldiers' civilians and provide detailed information about the health conditions of the hostages, were not respected. That was enough for Prime Minister Netanyahu to decide that "the passage of Gaza citizens to the northern part of Gaza will not be approved."
A “top” source told Sky News Arabia today that “ Hamas and Islamic Jihad have agreed to release Arbel Yehud 24 hours before the third round next Saturday .” According to the source, “Arbel will be released in exchange for the release of 30 Palestinians serving life sentences and the opening of the Netzarim corridor.” The mediators were informed of this new demand.
(Unioneonline/vf)
