In deal breach, Hamas fails to give Israel info on status of hostages still to be freed

Hamas gunmen are deployed in central Gaza City ahead of the planned release of four Israeli female hostages set to be handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City on January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Abed Hajjar)
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL | Published January 26, 2025

Terror group has also failed to free civilian hostage Arbel Yehud ahead of soldiers, as Jerusalem says deal stipulated; Israel puts off allowing Palestinians’ passage to north Gaza

The Hamas terror group on Saturday night failed to provide Israel with information on the status of hostages set for release in the coming weeks, in violation of the ceasefire-hostage deal in Gaza.

In addition, Israel said Hamas also broke the terms of the deal by failing to free civilian female hostage Arbel Yehud before releasing female soldiers, four of whom were freed Saturday.

 

In response to Yehud not being freed, Israel said it was delaying allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza — which had been scheduled to begin on Saturday — until her release could be arranged.

The decision also meant that the IDF would not withdraw from part of the Netzarim Corridor as scheduled on Sunday. The corridor bisects Gaza from east to west and divides its south from its north.

 

Seven hostages of 33 have been released so far as part of the first phase of the deal, in exchange for around 300 Palestinian security prisoners. According to the terms of the agreement, the Palestinian terror group was meant to let Israel know by the end of Saturday which of the remaining 26 hostages on the list, all of whom fall into the so-called “humanitarian” category of women, children, elderly individuals, and the infirm, are alive.

But the terror group blew past the midnight deadline, and Israeli officials confirmed that Jerusalem had not received the update and warned that failure to provide it was a violation of the accord.

 

Hamas may have been retaliating for Israel delaying the return of Palestinian residents to the enclave’s north. On Saturday after Israel announced the decision, the terror group accused Jerusalem in a statement of “delaying the implementation of the terms of the ceasefire.”

“We hold the occupation responsible for any disruption in implementing the agreement and its repercussions on the rest of the stations [of the agreement],” Hamas said.

Israel charges Hamas with violating the terms of the deal by releasing four IDF surveillance soldiers — Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag — on Saturday, rather than female civilian captive Yehud. The deal had stipulated that all living civilian women must be freed before the soldiers.

 

On the previous Sunday, civilians Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher were released.

In deal breach, Hamas fails to give Israel info on status of hostages still to be freed

The 33 hostages set to be returned in phase one of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Row 1 (L-R): Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Arbel Yehud, Doron Steinbrecher, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas; Row 2: Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Danielle Gilboa, Naama Levy, Ohad Ben-Ami, Gadi Moshe Moses; Row 3: Keith Siegel, Ofer Calderon, Eli Sharabi, Itzik Elgarat, Shlomo Mansour, Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshitz; Row 4: Tsahi Idan, Hisham al-Sayed, Yarden Bibas, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Yair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Sasha Trufanov; Row 5: Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Avera Mengistu, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov (all photos courtesy)

Although Yehud, 28, is a civilian, a source in Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terror group allied with Hamas that is believed to be holding her, told Qatari-funded Al Jazeera that she was a soldier, and so would be “released according to the deal’s terms.”

Hamas told Al Jazeera and Reuters on Saturday that Yehud was alive and would be part of the next release, on February 1.

Israel had conveyed to Hamas in the days leading up to the most recent hostage release that it expected Yehud to be released. She had been on the list set for release during the weeklong truce in November 2023, but that deal collapsed before the final round of releases took place.

 

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SOURCE: www.timesofisrael.com

RELATED: Israel halts Northern Gaza return amid ceasefire violation by Hamas

The four soldiers Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag — returned to Israel under the terms of the agreement

Representative Image | Photo: Bloomberg
BUSINESS STANDARD | Published January 26, 2025

Israel is delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza following Hamas’s violation of a ceasefire agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday night The decision came after Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers who had been held hostage for 477 days but failed to include a civilian hostage, Arbel Yehud, whose release was stipulated in the deal.

The four soldiers — Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag — returned to Israel under the terms of the agreement, which mandated the release of all living civilian women before soldiers.

Arbel Yehud, a civilian who was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, was supposed to be among the four. Hamas, for its part, issued a statement criticizing Israel for what it called delays in implementing the terms of the agreement but made no mention of Yehud. Mediators, including Qatar, characterized the weekend’s exchanges as successful, despite the controversy surrounding the release.

Israel has received four female hostage soldiers from the Hamas terrorist group today, and in return will release security prisoners,” the statement read. “However, in accordance with the agreement, Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans to the north of the Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be freed today, can be arranged.”

The decision to delay the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza was reportedly made during late-night security consultations on Friday, shortly after Hamas disclosed the names of the soldiers it planned to release. Israeli officials opted to delay the announcement until after the hostages were freed to avoid jeopardizing the process.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, accused Hamas of breaching the agreement by prioritizing the release of soldiers over civilian women. “Hamas did not abide by its obligation in the deal to free civilian women first,” Hagari said in a televised statement.

Hamas reportedly informed mediators that Yehud is alive and will be released next Saturday. However, no official statement from Hamas has clarified the delay, and Israel remains cautious, demanding proof of life or guarantees regarding Yehud’s status.

The delay also affects the Israeli Defense Forces planned withdrawal from a section of the Netzarim Corridor, a nine-km route that bisects Gaza and separates its northern and southern regions. Israeli forces were supposed to begin withdrawing from the corridor on Sunday. Lt.- Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson tweeted a warning to Palestinians not to approach the corridor.

 

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SOURCE: www.business-standard.com

 

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