Israel Agrees To Release 6 Palestinian Hostages This Weekend

The Condition Of Al Nuseirat Gaza/UNICATIONF/Eyad El Baba

JAKARTA - An agreement between Israel and Hamas to release the six surviving hostages on Saturday this weekend has been reached.

Axios reported on Tuesday, February 18, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official.

The move will be part of the first phase of the Gaza hostage-taking deal.

The release of hostages comes as Israel this week prepares to start indirect negotiations with Hamas over the second phase of the deal.

Negotiations for the second phase of the deal were supposed to start on February 2, but Qatar, together with Egypt and the United States, mediated between the two sides, saying the negotiations had not been officially carried out.

"It will happen this week," said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday, February 18, reported by Reuters.

Israel has given mixed signals in recent weeks regarding its involvement in the next phase of negotiations from a three-phase ceasefire, which took effect on January 19 with the aim of ending the Gaza war permanently.

The ceasefire deal, which includes the return of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, remains as planned despite a series of setbacks and charges of abuse threatening to thwart the treaty.

However, negotiations regarding the second phase are expected to be difficult because it includes issues such as the postwar government in Gaza, where the big gap between the two sides seems to still exist.

"We will not accept the continued presence of Hamas or other terrorist organizations in Gaza," Saar said.

But he said if the negotiations were constructive, Israel would remain involved and possibly extend the first phase of the ceasefire, which should last for six weeks.

"If we see any constructive dialogue with the possibility of reaching an agreement (then) we will extend this period of time," Saar said.

So far, 19 Israeli hostages have been returned in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and prisoners.

The other 14 hostages, six of whom are believed to be still alive, are scheduled to be repatriated in the first phase.

Israel is trying to guarantee the release of six hostages who are still alive on Saturday. The other four hostages are expected to be handed over on Thursday.

The hostages were held hostage in a cross-border attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza have killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, destroyed most of the region, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

An Israeli official said Israel would also begin allowing the entry of a car house for Gazans forced to take cover from the winter weather among the ruins left by Israeli bombings for 15 months.