Israeli hostages to be released in the first phase of the deal
Israel expects to release three more hostages on Saturday as part of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, officials said. At the same time, an Israeli delegation will soon travel to Qatar for further talks with mediators to finalise the current phase, Ynet News reports.
According to sources, there is an understanding between Israel and the United States that negotiations on the next phase of the agreement should continue. However, US President Donald Trump’s proposal to evict Palestinians from Gaza during its reconstruction has raised concerns, as Israel fears that this could be a reason to suspend the release of hostages.
One of the top priorities for Israeli negotiators remains the return of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, who Hamas claims were killed in November 2023. Israel does not confirm this, insisting that this information be verified. Their relative Yarden Bibas was released last week, but the fate of his family is still unknown.
Representatives of the government delegation accompanying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the United States say that he is interested in expanding the first stage of the agreement, which provides for the release of 33 hostages. At the same time, Netanyahu insists that in the next stages, Gaza must be demilitarised, all hostages-including the dead-must be returned, and Hamas leaders must be expelled. He also stressed that Hamas should not participate in the reconstruction of Gaza.
