Hamas hands over list of Israeli captives set for release
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The Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas has handed over a new list of captives set for release, this time including 25 Israelis who are still alive.
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Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Hamas has provided a list of 25 living prisoners out of a total of 33 set to be released in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to a statement from a Hamas official to Reuters on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Hamas announced that it had submitted the necessary information to mediators regarding the Israeli prisoners to be released during the initial phase of the truce. Meanwhile, Qatar revealed that Hamas and the Israeli occupation had agreed to the release of three Israeli prisoners from Gaza by Friday. This exchange is contingent upon Israel allowing displaced Palestinians to return from the southern Gaza Strip to its northern regions starting Monday morning.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari stated, "An understanding has been reached whereby Hamas will release the Israeli prisoner Erbil Yehud, along with two others, before Friday. Additionally, Hamas will release three more Israelis on Saturday as part of the agreement."
Thousands of displaced Palestinians began returning to Gaza City and northern Gaza early Monday, passing through the Nitsarim crossing, located between Gaza City and the central governorate. Vehicles were allowed to move northward after undergoing inspections on Salah Al-Din Road.
Fighters from the al-Qassam Brigades welcomed the returning residents as they made their way back to northern Gaza.
Palestinians return to northern Gaza
An agreement was reached between the Palestinian Resistance and "Israel", which would see the return of Palestinians to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, al-Ansari said.
Al-Ansari said that the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas has agreed to release three Israeli captives before Friday, January 31, 2025.
This special exchange will take place after the Israeli regime violated the clauses of the ceasefire agreement, by blocking the way of Palestinians coming from southern areas who were headed to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli regime said that it would continue to block the path of Palestinians until Israeli captive Arbel Yehud is released.
Yehud was being held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades, after being captured on October 7, 2023. The Israeli regime pushed for Yehud's release on Saturday under the pretext of her civilian status, however, the Palestinian Resistance considered her to be a soldier serving with Israeli occupation forces.
Now, mediators facilitated an agreement, which would see the release of Yehud and two other unnamed captives before this coming Friday in exchange for the release of a far greater number of Palestinian detainees and more importantly the return of citizens to the northern Gaza Strip on Monday.
