The terrorist organization is demanding the release of 250 life prisoners, but Israel is making it clear that the list will not change and estimates: there will be no explosion. More than half a million returned to northern Gaza, Hamas deploys terrorists and appoints commanders to governors:"We will take revenge on the collaborators and the militias." In Israel, preparations are being made for the immediate evacuation of hostages to the hospital, and are waiting for an answer on the identities of the deceased who will be buried.
Itamar Eichner
,
Milk grape
, AFP|
More than a day has passed since the ceasefire was signed - and there is still no timetable: Israel estimates that the release of the hostages will begin on Monday, possibly very early in the morning - but they are also preparing for the possibility that Hamas will surprise and start doing so as early as tomorrow (Sunday), in order to have time to release everyone before
Arrival
of US President Donald Trump to or near the country. Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official said today that disarming the terrorist organization - one of the basic conditions of the agreement - is"out of the question" - and thousands of terrorists have already begun to deploy throughout Gaza.
3 Viewing the gallery
Palestinians return to the northern Gaza Strip via the Netzarim route, today (Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
The understanding in Israel is that Hamas needs to organize logistically and move the living and dead hostages from their current location to a single collection point before the release. According to the agreement, the living hostages will be settled first - it is possible that they will all be handed over to the Red Cross at once and not in batches at different points - and then the dead. However, as mentioned, Israel is also preparing for other scenarios, including the possibility that Hamas will violate the summaries, and it is also estimated that the terrorist organization will not release all the dead hostages by Monday.
Meanwhile, Hamas is already making voices of protest, and at least publicly expressing anger that not all
The 250 terrorists to be released
They are life prisoners - but "only" 195 of them. However, in Israel they say that the list of released terrorists was agreed upon with the mediators, approved by the government and cannot be changed in practice.
A senior Palestinian official told the BBC that US envoy Steve Witkoff was asked to raise with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the demand to release seven senior Palestinian prisoners, including the terrorists.
Ahmed Saadat
and
Marwan Barghouti
, but
Israel refused.
For this purpose.
At this stage, it is unclear whether the dispute over the identity of the prisoners will also lead to any delays in the agreement, but Palestinian sources claim that Hamas actually has"no choice" but to agree to what has already been approved and determined. On the other hand, there are also extremist voices calling for"blowing up" everything, but for now this does not seem to be a likely scenario - especially since the terrorists who are expected to be released have already informed their families of this. However, there may still be changes to the list of prisoners, for example if a terrorist refuses to be deported - as has happened in previous deals. In such a case, other prisoners who were approved in advance as a possibility will be released.
Marwan Barghouti (Photo: Brennan Linsley, AP)
As mentioned, a senior Hamas official told the French news agency AFP today, on condition of anonymity, that"disarming Hamas," which is a central part of Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza,"is out of the question." According to him,"the demand to hand over the weapons is out of the question and is not negotiable."
But even today, in Israel, it is estimated that Hamas will do everything to make the agreement a success, after
The heavy pressure
which is being exerted on it by the US and the Muslim countries. Sources familiar with the details say that to date Hamas has adhered to the agreements, even if through deliberate attrition, and has done what it said it would do. Sources familiar with the details say that"all sides will do everything to make the agreement successful. No one has an interest in disrupting things, not even Hamas."
Israel is preparing for releases
Meanwhile, all the families of the abductees in Israel have received a phone call from their intelligence officer with an assessment of the condition of their loved ones. The understanding in Israel is that since not all of the deceased abductees will be found,
International Task Force
will begin moving immediately thereafter to locate them. This force, the establishment of which was revealed on Ynet, will include the US, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar and Israel. The idea is that any intelligence information about the location of the hostages will be examined in depth, until they are all found.
Hamas claims: "More than half a million have returned to the northern Gaza Strip" (Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed)
Since the 20 living abductees are expected to return to Israel in a complex medical condition, after two years in captivity, Israel is preparing to immediately evacuate them to hospitals - and there will be doctors on the ground who will make decisions in real time.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid organizations are demanding that Israel open additional crossings to allow aid into the Gaza Strip. 200 American soldiers
They have already landed in Israel.
Towards the implementation of the agreement, and their role is to assist a center to be established in Israel to coordinate issues concerning the Gaza Strip until a permanent government is established there.
On Monday, after his visit to Israel, President Trump is also expected to arrive in Egypt - where he will participate in a symbolic signing ceremony for the agreement, attended by a number of European leaders invited by Cairo. No senior Israeli officials were invited.
Thousands of terrorists will take revenge on collaborators in Gaza
Meanwhile, the Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip, a body run by Hamas, announced today that more than half a million Gazans have returned to the northern Strip since the ceasefire went into effect yesterday."More than 500,000 people arrived in Gaza between yesterday and today," claimed Mahmoud Bassel, a spokesman for the Civil Defense.
At the same time, according to the BBC, Hamas returned about 7,000 security forces to areas that the IDF had evacuated, and appointed five new governors - all with backgrounds in its military wing. Some of these governors had previously commanded terrorist brigades. Hamas informed terrorists, through phone calls and text messages, that there was a"general mobilization" to cleanse Gaza of "outlaws and collaborators with Israel."
"We will not leave Gaza at the mercy of thieves and militias supported by Israel," a senior Hamas official abroad told the BBC."Our weapons are legitimate and exist to resist the occupation. They will remain as long as the occupation continues."
A retired Palestinian security officer, who served for years in the Palestinian Authority, said he fears the situation will spiral into another round of internal bloodshed."Hamas has not changed, it still believes that weapons and violence are the only means to keep its movement alive," he said.
