The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced on Saturday that Palestinian residents in the northern Gaza Strip will not be allowed to return to their homes until the release of Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud is arranged. Yehud, who was scheduled to be released on Saturday, was not among the four Israeli hostages freed by Hamas, as part of a ceasefire-hostage exchange agreement.
During the fighting, many residents of northern Gaza were forced to relocate to temporary shelters in the south. They were supposed to return home as per the ceasefire terms. The Israeli government clarified that Yehud’s release is part of the deal, which went into effect last week.
A senior official from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement stated that Yehud is alive and will be released next Saturday. Earlier, Hamas released four Israeli female soldiers — Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy — who had been abducted by Hamas from an Israeli surveillance base at Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023. The soldiers arrived in good health at an Israeli military camp near the Gaza border and were assessed by medical teams.
This exchange is part of the second phase of the hostage swap, a key component of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on January 19, 2025. The ceasefire followed 15 months of intense fighting, facilitated by mediation from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States.
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