TPC Staff
The Palestine Chronicle / January 26, 2025
Islamic Jihad’s deputy secretary-general Mohammed al-Hindi confirmed that an agreement for the release of Israeli captive Arbel Yehud is imminent, with negotiations nearing completion.
Mohammed al-Hindi, deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad movement, said that an agreement regarding the release of Israeli captive Arbel Yehud is imminent.
Israeli media outlets 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 before next Saturday in return for the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners.
He emphasized that the agreement was designed to “remove the pretext from the occupation” and facilitate the mediation process.
He also criticized Israel for attempting to obstruct the ceasefire by failing to allow the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza via Al-Rashid Street.
Al-Hindi accused Israel of fabricating the issue surrounding Yehud’s captivity in an effort to derail 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 move the process forward and eliminate any excuses Israel might use to block progress.
The agreement stipulates that the Palestinian resistance in Gaza will release Yehud in exchange for the return of displaced Gazans from the south to the northern Gaza Strip through the Al-Rashid Street axis.
This deal forms part of the first phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel.
Israeli media outlets, including Maariv and Israel Hayom, have reported that Yehud will be released next Friday. Unofficial sources have also suggested that displaced Gazans may be allowed to return to northern Gaza in the coming hours.
However, other Israeli media outlets have clarified that while negotiations have made significant progress, no final agreement has been reached yet regarding Yehud’s release.
Israel’s Channel 12 quoted Israeli officials who expressed optimism that the dispute over Yehud’s release would soon be resolved.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were required to withdraw from Al-Rashid Street by Saturday, the seventh day of the agreement’s implementation, to allow Palestinians to return to the northern Gaza Strip.
However, Israeli forces did not pull back, citing the unresolved issue of Yehud’s release. The Israeli government has indicated that the prisoner may be included in the next batch for release scheduled for Saturday.
