On Sunday, Israeli forces were blocking Palestinians from returning to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip after Israel accused Hamas of violating the terms of a ceasefire agreement.
Under the early terms of the deal reached earlier this month, Israel will deploy some of its troops to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans to head north after Saturday’s exchange of hostages and prisoners. It was expected that he would withdraw.
But Israeli military spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari on Saturday accused Hamas of violating the agreement by not returning captured Israeli civilians first. Israeli officials said that under the deal, Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud in the Gaza Strip was to be one of four women released on Saturday.
The freed hostages were all soldiers guarding bases on the Gaza border from which they were abducted on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led Israeli offensive that sparked the outbreak of the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it would not allow Gazans to head north “until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud is coordinated,” leaving the timing of the withdrawal of troops and the return of residents unclear. It remains as it is.
Hamas accused Israel of reluctance to fully implement the ceasefire agreement. The conflict is one of the most significant between the parties since a ceasefire took effect after 15 months of devastating war.
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