The broader ceasefire and hostage exchange remain in limbo as Phase 2 of the deal is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks
Hamas and Tel Aviv have reached an agreement on releasing several hostages within the next week in exchange for mobile homes and construction equipment entering the Strip.
On Tuesday, Hamas announced they would release six living and four dead Israeli hostages this week. The four deceased Israelis will have their remains returned on Thursday, and the other six captives will be released Saturday.
The AP reports the new agreement came after Hamas received significant pressure from Egypt to release the captives. Under the initial deal, three of the six living Israelis were scheduled to be released next week.
Hamas says Israel agreed to allow mobile homes and construction equipment into Gaza. Under the initial agreement, Tel Aviv pledged to allow construction equipment for clearing rubble and 60,000 pre-build homes and 200,000 tents to enter Gaza. Additionally, Haaretz reports that Tel Aviv agreed to release Palestinians who were freed as a part of a prisoner swap in 2011 but were rearrested by Israel.
Israeli officials confirmed the new deal with Hamas. The source added Israel expects four more dead hostages to be released next week. The dead Israelis include Kfir and Ariel Bibas, aged four and nine months, when they were taken by Hamas. The armed group says they were killed by an Israeli airstrike.
Israeli outlets reported that Israel used multiple bunker-buster bombs to target Hamas in tunnels below Gaza. Tel Aviv knew the large bombs would create a chemical reaction that could lead to the deaths of those in the tunnels. Some Israeli hostages were killed by asphyxiation.
The ceasefire deal has been in jeopardy of failing over the past week. Israel has largely failed to allow the aid into Gaza, according to Israeli officials. While Hamas has upheld its end of the deal in releasing hostages, last week, the armed group threatened to pause freeing Israeli captives until Tel Aviv was abiding by the deal.
President Donald Trump quickly escalated his rhetoric. He said he would support Tel Aviv breaking the ceasefire and unleashing “hell” on the Palestinians if all Israeli hostages were not released by last Saturday at noon.
Even after the six living Israeli hostages are released later this week, Hamas will still hold over 59 Israeli captives, although about 30 are estimated to be dead, who are scheduled to be released during Phase 2 of the deal.
However, the deal appears increasingly less likely to reach its second step. The Israeli Prime Minister has so far refused to engage in talks to hammer out the details of Phase 2, which is scheduled to begin the first week of March.
On Sunday, sources reported that Hamas was prepared to allow the rival faction, the Palestinian Authority, to take over Gaza. The PA is permitted by Tel Aviv to have some control over the West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly rejected that proposal, saying the PA or Hamas would not be allowed to control the West Bank, adding he is committed to President Donald Trump’s proposal to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians from Gaza. “I’m committed to US President Donald Trump’s plan to create a different Gaza,” he said Monday.
Reprint from Antiwar.com
