Hamas group said on Tuesday it had reached an agreement with Israel on releasing Palestinian prisoners supposed to be freed on Saturday as a part of a ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, Hamas said its delegation, led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, met with Egyptian officials to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement as well as preparations for the next phase of negotiations.
The group emphasized the need for full and precise adherence to all terms of the deal.
Hamas added that a solution has been reached ensuring that the release of Palestinian prisoners would occur simultaneously with the handover of Israeli remains, as previously agreed to under the first phase of the deal, along with additional Palestinian women and children detainees.
An Israeli official confirmed late Tuesday that an understanding had been reached with Hamas to resolve the delay in releasing Palestinian prisoners.
“The Egyptian mediation has succeeded…An agreement was reached to resolve the issue of the delayed release of Palestinian prisoners,” the unnamed official told Israel's Channel 13.
“If there are no last-minute changes, the remains of four Israeli hostages will be returned Wednesday night without a formal ceremony, and Palestinian prisoners will be released gradually from Israeli prisons,” the official added.
The first phase of the ceasefire deal in Gaza began on Jan. 19, spanning three stages, each lasting 42 days, with negotiations for the next phase required before the completion of the current one.
As part of this phase, which involves the release of 33 Israeli hostages—both living and deceased—Palestinian resistance factions have already freed 25 living captives and four deceased individuals in seven separate batches.
Israel has delayed the release of around 620 Palestinian prisoners, despite Hamas fulfilling its commitments under the agreement.
On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a discussion with several ministers, decided against releasing the Palestinian prisoners, contradicting the recommendation of Israeli security officials.
Netanyahu's office claimed the decision was a response to Hamas violations, citing ceremonies held for six released prisoners last Saturday. Hamas dismissed the accusation as baseless, calling it a pretext to evade Israel’s commitments under the deal.
A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place in Gaza since last month, pausing the Israeli war, which has killed nearly 48,350 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning at this year's COP31 summit, saying the climate crisis iss advancing faster than governments' efforts to contain it.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Iran will not let a single particle of its enriched nuclear material leave the country, and any new U.S. attack would be met with strikes on distant American bases, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said.
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing disruption to factories, ports, shops and public transport just weeks before a snap general election.
Afghan and Russian businesses signed 15 trade agreements worth $103 million in Kabul on Thursday during a visit by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, Afghanistan’s government said.
Rising demand for air cargo and expanding international aviation networks are opening up new trade opportunities for Central Asia and the South Caucasus, as countries invest in airports and strengthen their roles in global supply chains.
Kazakhstan’s security service has arrested Nurlan Zhakupov, CEO of Samruk-Kazyna, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, on suspicion of corruption. Yelzhas Otynshiyev, Chairman of KTZ, Kazakhstan’s national railway firm has also been detained.
An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza has killed at least six people, including a surgeon, and wounded 20 others, according to Gaza’s civil defence service.
The competitiveness of international trade depends on how efficiently goods move across borders. These issues are in focus at the 22nd International Exhibition of Transport and Logistics – TransLogistica Uzbekistan 2026, taking place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 10 to 12 November.
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