The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announced on Tuesday that it has closed an agreement with Israel to deliver Israel next Thursday the in Gaza, in exchange for the Netanyahu government to give the more than 600 Palestinian prisoners who had to release in The last part of the first phase of the agreement of a fragile high the fire, in pause since last Saturday after, two days after that of his children.
According to a statement from Hamas collected by the Diario Fistín, related to the group, “an agreement has been reached to resolve the issue of late release of the Palestinian prisoners who had to be released in the last round.” Sources close to the Islamist movement have detailed that the exchange will be carried out simultaneously this Thursday, and that Egypt will be in charge of supervising synchronization in the process. Hamas has insisted that Israel complies with the agreed, after accusing the Israeli government of breaking the established deadlines.
The original agreement, reached in mid -January, included the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. However, the tension climbed when Israel denounced that Hamas had violated the terms of the pact during the ceremonies of delivery of the hostage bodies, where banners and songs of Palestinian propaganda were exhibited. In addition, Israel questioned the authenticity of the body delivered by Shiri Bibas, one of the Israeli victims.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamín Netanyahu, had announced the delay in the release of Palestinian prisoners until the delivery of the next hostages was guaranteed and what was avoided as “degrading ceremonies.” Israel especially criticized the live broadcast of the delivery of the bodies of the Bibas family, including children, and the obligation of the hostages liberated from uploading to a stand and pronouncing speeches before the Gazatí public.
Hamas, meanwhile, has defended its position and has ensured that the agreement reached on Tuesday solves the problem of the delay in the release of Palestinian prisoners. In a statement, the Islamist group stressed the importance of a “full and precise commitment” with all the provisions of the agreement. In addition, he stressed that the delegation of Hamas, headed by Khalil Al Hayya, held meetings in Cairo with Egyptian officials to discuss “the application of the high fire, the exchange of prisoners and the perspectives of the second phase of the negotiations.”
This exchange, scheduled for Thursday, will include not only the bodies of Israeli hostages, but also the release of “the corresponding Palestinian women and children,” according to Hamas. The first phase of the truce agreement will conclude next Saturday, March 1, and both parties face the pressure of international mediators – Catar, Egypt and the United States – to move towards the second phase of negotiations.
