Israel is set to release three male hostages, marking the fifth round of prisoner exchanges since a Gaza ceasefire deal began. Seventy-nine hostages remain in Hamas captivity and are expected to be transferred to Israel by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
The latest hostage release comes amid concerns that US President Donald Trump’s statements on destroying Hamas and relocating Gazans may delay or disrupt the process. Officials fear that these comments could embolden Hamas to hold out for better terms, potentially delaying further releases.
Despite this, a working delegation is set to travel to Qatar over the weekend to focus on ongoing negotiations in phase one of the hostage deal. The current phase, which began 21 days ago, aims to facilitate the release of hostages by the halfway point.
Netanyahu is pushing to extend phase one, seeking additional rounds of releases in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners. However, officials warn that this could be complicated by an impending withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor, a Gaza border with Egypt that must happen by day 50.
Talks are underway on advancing negotiations toward phase two, which would involve the release of all remaining hostages. Trump has warned that Israel will be more violent if these prisoners are not freed. However, officials question whether the ongoing rhetoric from Trump and Israeli leaders could hinder a phase two agreement.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-841021