Hamas reportedly reached agreement with Israel on continuation of Gaza deal

According to the Islamist organization and Israeli media reports, Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on the stalled first phase of the ceasefire agreement. The planned release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, which Israel suspended a few days ago, should take place at the same time as the handover of the bodies of Israeli hostages, Hamas announced. The terrorist organization did not say when the exchange would take place.

There was no official confirmation of this from Israel at first. However, several Israeli media reported, citing Israeli officials, that the agreement announced by Hamas between the two warring parties had indeed been reached. The "Times of Israel" reported that the release would take place on Wednesday via neighboring Egypt. According to the news site "ynet," four dead hostages will be handed over without ceremony within 24 hours, first to Egypt and then to representatives of the Red Cross, before being transferred to Israel.

According to the newspaper Haaretz, the exchange is to take place on Wednesday evening. At the same time, according to an agreement reached on Tuesday, according to Hamas and media reports, the Palestinian prisoners that Israel was supposed to release over the weekend will be released.

Israel announced on Sunday night that the release of Palestinian prisoners, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, would be suspended. The Islamist terrorist organization must first promise to stop the humiliating ceremonies when releasing the Israeli hostages, it said. 602 Palestinian prisoners are affected. They were supposed to be released on Saturday in exchange for six Israeli hostages.

The four bodies that are now to be handed over were originally scheduled to be handed over to Israel next Thursday as part of the first phase of the agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force has again attacked targets in neighboring Syria and Lebanon. According to eyewitnesses, there were at least five air strikes on military targets south of the Syrian capital Damascus, where fighter jets and explosions were heard. A representative of the southern province of Daraa said that Israeli fighter jets had also attacked several Syrian army military installations there.

After the fall of the government of ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel largely destroyed the military capabilities of the Assad government in hundreds of attacks. Since the beginning of the year, Israel has attacked 16 times on Syrian territory, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Among other things, weapons depots and military command centers were destroyed.

The Israeli military said it had attacked military targets in southern Syria, which it said posed a threat to Israeli citizens, it said in a statement.

Since the fall of the Assad government, the Israeli army has significantly expanded its military activities on Syrian territory. According to the Observatory, it penetrated villages in western Qunaitra near the occupied Golan Heights. Israeli army vehicles and checkpoints appeared in the area. In the evening there were reports that Israeli tanks and armored vehicles had also been sighted in Daraa province.

Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his interim government are demanding Israel's immediate withdrawal. The country justifies its military action on Syrian territory near the occupied Golan Heights by targeting weapons depots and supply routes that are said to be used by Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

Israel also attacked Lebanon in the border area with Syria. Two people were killed in the drone attack, the state agency NNA reported. Israel's army spoke of an attack on members of Hezbollah. They were working in a strategic weapons depot. This was a "blatant violation of the ceasefire agreements between Israel and Lebanon."

According to a proposal by Israeli opposition leader Jair Lapid, Egypt should assume responsibility for the administration of the Gaza Strip for 15 years after the end of the war. Lapid announced on Platform X that he had presented a corresponding plan in the USA. During this time, the politician wants the moderate Palestinian Authority of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to carry out significant reforms in the West Bank in order to then regain control of the Gaza Strip. The Islamist Hamas was forcibly expelled from there in 2007.

In addition, according to Lapid's plan, the destroyed coastal strip will be rebuilt under Egyptian supervision during this period. In return, the international community could forgive Egypt's foreign debt, Israel's opposition leader continued.

Israel's government, which has not yet presented a plan for the future of the Gaza Strip, did not initially comment on Lapid's proposal. There was also no official statement from Egypt.