An Israeli woman, who also holds German citizenship, held in Gaza is expected to be released in exchange for 30 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, according to Qatari officials who are mediating between Hamas and Israel.
The woman is one of three hostages held in Gaza who will be released by Friday, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Doha said on X.
The German-Israeli woman is said to be currently in the hands of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) paramilitary group.
The deputy secretary-general of PIJ, Mohammed Hindi, had told dpa earlier that the woman was alive and that contracts were being negotiated with Israel with the help of mediators.
Palestinian terrorists took the woman to Gaza during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
The cease-fire and exchange of hostages agreement for imprisoned Palestinians stipulates that civilians should be released first. However, the Islamic militant group Hamas released four young female soldiers in their place on Saturday.
As a result, Israel released about 200 Palestinians from detention. The next release of three more hosts is scheduled to take place next Saturday, according to the deal.
Israel has said the lack of civilian calls is a violation of the ceasefire agreement. At the same time Hamas says that Israel is violating the agreement by stopping the return of Gaza civilians to the north of the coast, which should have been allowed from a week after the start of the truce. on January 19.
On the southern side of Israel's military Netzarim Corridor, which divides the coast from west to east into two parts, it is reported that thousands of people are waiting to return to their homes in the north.
Two people were killed and 15 wounded by Israeli soldiers' gunfire, according to medical sources in the Gaza Strip. The information could not be independently verified at first.
