Israeli Hostages to be Released in Ceasefire Deal with Hamas
Three Israeli hostages are set to be released on Thursday under the terms of the ceasefire deal with Hamas. The hostages have been identified as Arbel Yehoud, 29, Agam Berger, 20, and Gadi Mozes, 80. Alongside them, five Thai nationals will also be released, although their identities have not yet been publicly disclosed. In exchange, Israel will release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 minors, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, an NGO.
In a related development, the main UN agency serving Palestinians in the occupied territories, including Gaza, is expected to be shut down on Thursday. This closure comes as Israel disregards widespread international support for the agency, leading Unrwa to predict that this action would "sabotage Gaza's recovery and political transition."
Additionally, for the third consecutive day, thousands of Palestinians in southern Gaza have been returning to their homes in the war-ravaged north, travelling by foot, motorbike, and animal-drawn carts after Israeli forces withdrew from the primary routes earlier this week. The column of people stretched for miles along Gaza's coastal road on Wednesday, with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reporting that over 376,000 Palestinians have made the journey back to northern Gaza from the south.
