Israeli troops prevented Palestinians from returning to their homes in northern Gaza on Sunday, as Israel said Hamas violated the terms of a cease-fire agreement that took effect a week ago, while Hamas accused Israel of stalling.
Officials on both sides said they were in contact with mediators to try to resolve the crisis – one of the most significant between the parties since the ceasefire brought at least a temporary halt to fighting after 15 months of devastating war.
Under the terms of the initial phase of the agreement agreed to this monthIsrael was expected to withdraw some of its forces to allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans to head north after a exchange of hostages and prisoners on Saturday.
But the Israeli government said Hamas violated the agreement by not first returning captured Israeli civilians and failing to provide Israel with information on the status of other hostages, as required by the agreement.
Israeli officials said that under the agreement, Arbel Yehud, an Israeli civilian held hostage in Gaza, was to be one of the four women released on Saturday.
Oslobota’s hostages were all soldiers who were held at a base on the Gaza border and were killed from there on October 7, 2023, during an attack on Israel launched by Hamas. War.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office of Israel said it would not allow Gazans to head north “until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud is agreed upon,” leaving the timing of the troop withdrawal and residents’ return unclear.
The Israeli government reiterated in a statement on Sunday that Mr Netanyahu “stood firm” on the decision. Ms Yehud was also expected to be released along with around 100 other hostages during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023.
In addition, Hamas was due to provide Israel with a list by the end of Saturday detailing the condition of the remaining 26 hostages, which is expected to be released within the next five weeks. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue, said Sunday afternoon that Israel had still not received the list.
Israeli officials have said they believe many or most of the hostages who were supposed to be released in the first phase of the deal are alive, but the status of some of them is unclear.
On Sunday, Hamas accused Israel of stalling and violating the agreement by preventing displaced Gazans from moving north.
In a statement, Hamas said it had informed mediators that Ms. Yehud was alive and had given “all the necessary guarantees for her release,” adding that it was following up with mediators in the hope of resolving the dispute.
The ceasefire agreement was brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. An Israeli official said on Sunday that Israel had not received any proof from Hamas regarding Ms. Yehud’s status.
But it appears that Hamas may not be holding Ms. Yehud.
Hussein al-Batsh, an official with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller armed organization that sometimes rivals Hamas in Gaza, told the New York Times on Sunday that Ms. Yehud was in the custody of the Quds Brigades, the group’s military wing. He said Ms Yehud was not released on Saturday due to what she called “technical reasons”.
Mr. Al-Batsh added that senior Islamic Jihad leaders were involved in discussions with mediators. The group’s spokesman, Mohammed Al Haj Mousa, then said in a statement that Ms. Yehud would be released before next Saturday to allow displaced Gazans to return to the North as quickly as possible.
But Israel denied that any agreement had been reached on Ms Yehud’s return. An official familiar with the details said Sunday evening that contacts with mediators were continuing and reiterated that Israel would not allow displaced Gazans to move northward until Ms. Yehud’s release was resolved.
On Sunday, pictures of a large crowd of displaced Palestinians waited nearby Netzarim corridorA zone built by Israeli forces that divides Gaza into two, only to return to the north, has been circulating in the Palestinian media.
WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s news agency, reported that one person was killed and several others wounded west of Nuseirat in central Gaza after Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd of people waiting to return to the north.
The military said in a statement on Sunday that its troops “identified several gatherings of dozens of suspects who were advancing towards the troops and posing a threat to them.” Troops fired warning shots at them, the statement added, without addressing casualty reports.
The army again called on the residents of Gaza to follow their announcements and avoid approaching the troops deployed in the area. The army added that its troops eliminated a person in southern Gaza whom it identified as a member of the Islamic Jihad missile unit that posed a threat to them.
Ghada al-Kurd, 37, said she decided to stay in central Gaza on Sunday, despite longing to return home to the north. “I won’t leave until everything is clear,” she said. “I will not risk my life – these soldiers cannot be trusted,” she added.
Mrs. Al-Kurd, who left her home and two daughters in Gaza City in the early weeks of the war, wondered again when she would finally see them. “We’re just waiting here, feeling stressed and anxious,” she said. “They are playing with our fate,” she added.
Jonathan Reiss,, Gabby Sobelman and Myra Noveck contribute to reporting.
