Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office confirmed on Sunday night that hostage Arbel Yehud and two other hostages will be released this week, regardless of the next phase of hostage release, scheduled for Saturday.
"After tough and determined negotiations led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Hamas has backed down and will carry out another phase of hostage release this coming Thursday," the Prime Minister's Office said.
"As part of this phase, civilian Arbel Yehud, soldier Agam Berger, and another hostage will be released. Additionally, three more hostages will be released next Saturday in accordance with the agreement."
"Simultaneously, Israel received from Hamas a list detailing the condition of all hostages scheduled for release in phase A. As part of these agreements, Israel will allow, starting tomorrow morning, the movement of Gazans to the northern part of the Strip," the Prime Minister's Office stated.
"The Prime Minister reiterates that Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement. We will continue to work for the return home of all our hostages - both the living and the deceased."
Earlier, Qatar announced that Yehud and two additional hostages will be released before Friday, in exchange for the opening of the Netzarim Corridor.
A spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that Hamas has committed to providing information on the number of hostages to be released in the first phase of the agreement. An Israeli diplomatic source confirmed the arrangement.
Israel had refused to open the Netzarim Corridor in response to Hamas's violations of the ceasefire deal. Earlier, an official source in the Islamic Jihad terror organization said an agreement has been reached to release Yehud before the scheduled Saturday release of hostages.
Before that, a different source told Al Jazeera, "We expect there to be a breakthrough tonight (Monday) regarding the hostage Arbel Yehud. The mediators are working to solve the crisis, which could secure Yehud's release before Saturday.
I24News cited a Hamas source who said that the Islamic Jihad decided to hold back on Yehud's release after its leader Ziyad al-Nakhaleh suddenly insisted Yehud had a security background and demanded a higher price for her release, in the form of terrorists serving life sentences.
According to the report, Hamas and the mediators believe this was caused by intervention from the Iranians, who likely pressured al-Nakhaleh to place new demands.
Thousands of Gaza residents have been attempting over the last day to move to the northern Gaza Strip via the Netzarim Corridor, which has been closed by the IDF until the release of the hostage Arbel Yehud has been arranged. Yehud was supposed to be released yesterday as part of the hostage deal.
According to the ceasefire agreement, residents of Gaza were supposed to return to the northern part of Gaza on Saturday. Israeli sources decided that since Yehud had not been released, the Netzarim Corridor would remain closed for Gaza residents to move northwards.
A diplomatic source addressed the situation and stated: "Prime Minister Netanyahu is adamant not to allow Gazans to move north at Netzarim until the return of Arbel Yehud has been resolved."