Israel blocks Gazans' return to territory's north unless civilian woman hostage freed

TDT | Manama

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Israel said on Saturday it would block the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza until civilian woman hostage Arbel Yehud is released.

"Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans to the northern part of the Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be released today, is arranged," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: "Hamas did not comply with the agreement on its obligation to return civilian females first."

Two Hamas sources told AFP that Yehud was "alive and in good health".

A Hamas source told AFP that she will be "released as part of the third swap set for next Saturday", February 1.

Earlier on Saturday, four Israeli women soldiers held captive in Gaza were released by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

In a separate statement posted on X, the military's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, reiterated that Gazans were not allowed to approach the Netzarim corridor through which they have to pass to reach their homes in the north.

"We confirm that all the instructions we have issued are still in effect, especially the prohibition on approaching the Netzarim axis until it is announced open," Adraee said.

"These instructions will remain in effect until new instructions are issued along the transition to the next phase of the agreement, and after Hamas fulfils its commitments."

Hamas has repeatedly claimed that as part of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were to withdraw from the Netzarim corridor on Saturday during the second hostage-prisoner swap and allow displaced Gazans from the south to return to their homes in the north.

The Netzarim corridor is a seven-kilometre (4.3-mile) strip of land militarised by Israel that bisects Gaza from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean and cuts off the north from the rest of the territory.

Many Gazans were already heading to the corridor on Saturday.

"I'm here with my wife, my three daughters, and my four sons on the corniche (Al-Rashid Street) since yesterday," said displaced Gazan Jibril al-Jumla, 39.

"We were displaced in October 2023 to Khan Yunis and moved several times from there. We lived a life of humiliation, hunger, fear, and terror."