Israel announced on Saturday that it would bar displaced Palestinians from returning to their homes in northern Gaza until the release of civilian hostage Arbel Yehud. The decision comes after Israeli officials accused Hamas of not fulfilling its commitment to release first the civilian women hostages, according to a ceasefire agreement.
According to his office, “Israel will not allow Gazans to return north until Arbel Yehud, due to be freed today, has been released.” Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari accused Hamas of not honouring the agreement.
In response, Hamas sources told AFP that Yehud is “alive and in good health” and that she would be released as part of the third swap planned for February 1. Earlier in the day, four Israeli women soldiers held in Gaza were released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Israel’s military restated its ban, continuing to bar access to the Netzarim corridor the route Gazans must take to head north. The corridor is a militarized strip that cuts through Gaza from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean and remains under Israeli control.
Displaced Palestinians, eager to return home, gathered near the corridor on Saturday. Many expressed frustration over their prolonged displacement and harsh living conditions. Jibril al-Jumla, a displaced resident, described his ordeal, saying, “We’ve lived a life of humiliation, hunger, fear, and terror.”
Hamas has reacted by accusing Israel of not making a full pullout from the strip, claiming it was part of the agreement in the ceasefire deal. Israeli officials said that present restrictions would persist until Hamas lived up to the commitments made by the agreement.
The scenario highlights the frailty of the ceasefire and further tensions on matters of hostage negotiation and humanitarian access in Gaza.
