Gaza, MINA – Islamic Jihad deputy secretary-general Mohammed al-Hindi confirmed that a deal to release Israeli prisoner Arbel Yehud is close, with negotiations nearly complete, Palestine Chronicle reported.
Mohammed al-Hindi, deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad movement, said that an agreement on the release of Israeli prisoner Arbel Yehud is close.
Israeli media reported that the release is scheduled for next Friday. In an interview with Al-Jazeera on Sunday, al-Hindi confirmed the movement’s acceptance of releasing Yehud by next Saturday in exchange for the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners.
He stressed that the agreement was designed to “remove the pretext of occupation” and facilitate the mediation process.
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He also criticized Israel for trying to hinder the ceasefire by not allowing the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza via Rashid Street.
Al-Hindi accused Israel of fabricating the issue surrounding Yehud’s detention in an attempt to thwart the agreement. “The mediators are aware of this,” he said.
The Islamic Jihad official indicated that the movement had agreed to release the prisoner in order to advance the process and eliminate any pretext that Israel might use to hinder progress.
The agreement stipulates that the Palestinian resistance in Gaza will release Yehud in exchange for the return of Gazans displaced from the south to the northern Gaza Strip via the Rashid Street axis.
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The deal is part of the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel. Israeli media, including Maariv and Israel Hayom, have reported that Yehud will be released next Friday.
Unofficial sources also stated that displaced Gazans may be allowed to return to northern Gaza in the coming hours.
However, other Israeli media outlets have clarified that although negotiations have made significant progress, no final agreement has been reached on Yehud’s release.
Israel’s Channel 12 quoted Israeli officials as expressing optimism that the dispute over Yehud’s release would be resolved soon. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were required to withdraw from Rashid Street by Saturday, the seventh day since the agreement came into effect, to allow Palestinians to return to the northern Gaza Strip.
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However, Israeli forces did not withdraw, citing the unresolved issue of Yehud’s release. The Israeli government has indicated that the prisoner may be included in the next group of releases scheduled for Saturday. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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