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Second Round of Hostage Releases Under Gaza Ceasefire Takes Place

Hamas released four hostages today, all of them female members of the IDF who were taken from their observation station outside of Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. Given the circumstances in which they were held ever since, they appear to be in remarkably good shape. “Their medical condition is normal, with no findings that require special medical intervention on the ground,” the IDF said, reported the Times of Israel.

There is a dispute however between Hamas and Israel on the releases. Israel had demanded that Hamas include a female civilian hostage by the name of Arbel Yehud, arguing that the ceasefire agreement called for the release of at least one civilian. “Israel has received four female hostage soldiers from the Hamas terrorist group today, and in return will release security prisoners” according to the deal, the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement. “In accordance with the agreement, Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans to the north of the Gaza Strip, until the arrangement of the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be released today,” the statement adds. The Times of Israel notes that Yehud is thought to be held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

A Hamas source has told Al Jazeera that the group has informed the mediators that Yehud is alive and will be released next Saturday, Feb. 1.

In return, Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners, 70 of whom, “convicted” of murder in Israeli courts, were deported temporarily to Egypt to then move on to Tunisia, Algeria or Türkiye. Israel has said that Palestinian prisoners who have been convicted of killing Israelis should be permanently deported if they are freed under the hostage-ceasefire agreement, and would not be allowed to return to homes in the West Bank or Gaza.