Israel said Palestinians could start returning to the north of the war-battered Gaza Strip on Monday after a deal was reached with Hamas for the release of another six hostages.
This was according to Israeli’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
The breakthrough comes after a fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which has devastated the Gaza Strip and displaced almost all its residents.
Israel had been preventing huge crowds of Palestinians from using a coastal road to return to northern Gaza.
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They accused Hamas of violating the truce agreement by failing to release civilian women hostages.
“Hamas has backtracked and will carry out an additional phase of releasing hostages this Thursday,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, adding that three captives would be released that day, with another three hostages set for release on Saturday.
Recall that four Israeli female soldiers that were held captive by Hamas for 477 days were released on Saturday under the ongoing ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump had on Saturday said Gaza had become a “demolition site”, adding he had spoken to Jordan’s King Abdullah II about moving Palestinians out.
“I’d like Egypt to take people. And I’d like Jordan to take people,” Trump told reporters.
