The prisoners will be released in the coming days while Hamas will hand the bodies of four Israeli captives.
Hamas said he had concluded an agreement to put an end to Israel’s delay to publish 620 Palestinian prisoners who were to be released last week, after having confirmed his ceasefire team by releasing six Israeli captives from Gaza .
Hamas confirmed on Wednesday that Israel would release more Palestinian women and children from its prisons on Thursday, while the group will simultaneously hand over the bodies of the four Israeli captives.
Tareq Abu Azzoum of Tel Aviv Tribune, reporting from the Nuseirat camp in the center of Gaza, said that the exchange should take place on Thursday, Egypt supervising the process to ensure that the two parties meet their commitments.
Hamas accused Israel of “sabotaging” the truce of Gaza by delaying the release of the 620 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. Israel has justified the delay by quoting concerns about major public gatherings in which the Israelis were released, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing the process as “humiliating ceremonies”.
The last agreement would fulfill the obligations of both parties under the first phase of the ceasefire, during which Hamas returns 33 captives, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Washington’s Middle East envoy said talks for a second phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement remained on the right track. The first phase should end on Saturday.
“We are making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we are talking about, “said Steve Witkoff to an event for the American Jewish Committee.
“It will either be in Doha or Cairo, where the negotiations will start with the Egyptians and the Qataris,” he said.
The talks had to start weeks ago, but did not do so.
Witkoff, who is expected in the region in the coming days, said he wanted the parties to move in negotiations on the second phase, during which all the remaining captives held by Hamas must be released and the end war must be negotiated.
Abu Azzoum said that there were growing indications that Israel sought to obtain an extension of the first phase of the agreement rather than engaging in negotiations on the second phase.
“Next Saturday, Israel is supposed to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor as part of the first phase,” said the Tel Aviv Tribune correspondent, adding that this will be an opportunity to put the force of the test agreement.
The Philadelphi corridor, a long band of 14 km (8.7 miles) which represents the entire border area between Gaza and Egypt, was a discord when Israel tried to keep the area control.
