Israel bars Palestinians from returning to north Gaza in row over hostage Arbel Yehoud
Jerusalem says Hamas broke truce terms by failing to free civilian woman before soldiers; Hamas official says she is alive, will be released next week

Israel on Saturday said that it would hold off on allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza after it said Hamas violated the terms of the ceasefire-hostage deal by not freeing female civilian captive Arbel Yehoud.
The announcement came after Hamas freed four female soldiers held hostage by Hamas for 477 days — Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag — despite the deal stipulating that all living civilian women be freed before the soldiers.
A source in Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is believed to be holding Yehoud, told Al Jazeera that the 28-year-old civilian was a soldier and would be “released according to the deal’s terms.”
Following their return to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying that after Hamas violated the agreement, which required including Yehoud among Saturday’s releases, Israel would delay allowing Palestinians on foot to return to the northern Gaza Strip.
“Israel has received four female hostage soldiers from the Hamas terrorist group today, and in return will release security prisoners” in accordance with the deal, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
However, it added, “In accordance with the agreement, Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans to the north of the Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel Yehoud, who was supposed to be released today, can be arranged,” the statement added.
The decision was reportedly made during security consultations held by Netanyahu on Friday night, soon after Hamas released the names of the four female soldiers it was freeing, but was announced after the release so as not to jeopardize it.
The announcement also meant that the IDF would not withdraw from part of the Netzarim Corridor as scheduled on Sunday. The corridor bisects Gaza from east to west and divides its south from its north.

The Walla news site reported that Israel had asked the Trump administration to demand that Qatar and Egypt pressure Hamas to release Yehoud, citing an Israeli official.
A White House national security spokesperson told The Times of Israel: “We are continuing to push for Arbel Yehoud’s release through negotiation channels.”
Israel had earlier this week conveyed to Hamas that it expected Yehoud — who is thought to be held by fellow terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad — to be released this weekend. In November 2023, Yehoud had been on the list to be released in the only previous hostage-truce deal, but the deal collapsed before the final scheduled releases.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement on Saturday that Hamas violated the hostage agreement with the release of the four female soldiers before releasing the civilian women. “Hamas did not abide by its obligation in the deal to free civilian women first,” he said.
Hagari said Israel would make sure that Yehoud — who Israel believes to be alive — was released soon, along with Shiri Bibas and her children, adding, “We have heavy concerns for their fate.”
He said Israel expected more information on the Bibas family soon. Shiri Bibas is the only other female civilian hostage on the list of 33 yet to be freed in the first phase of the deal.
Hagari also said the military was “committed to the return of” Agam Berger, another surveillance soldier kidnapped on October 7, 2023, and all the other hostages. Berger was the only one of the five remaining female soldiers not released Saturday.
The five are among seven female soldiers abducted from the IDF surveillance unit at the Nahal Oz army base during the Hamas-led massacre on October 7, 2023. One of the abducted surveillance soldiers, Ori Megidish, was later rescued, and the body of a second one, Noa Marciano, was recovered after she was murdered in captivity.

An official from the Hamas terror group told the Reuters news agency that mediators have been informed that Yehoud is alive and will be released next Saturday.
A similar message was conveyed to the Al Jazeera network by the terror group. However, there was no formal announcement from Hamas on the matter and it was not clear why they did not release her as scheduled.
Israel’s Channel 12 news reported that Israel may demand that the Gaza terror groups provide some kind of sign of life or guarantee that Yehoud is alive and will be released next Saturday.
However, the Kan public broadcaster said that Israel was in contact with the mediators in a bid to secure Yehoud’s release before Saturday.
“We expect that Arbel Yehoud will be freed in the next few days, before Saturday. If that happens, Gazans will be allowed to return to northern Gaza before Saturday,” an Israeli source told Kan.
In a statement, Yehoud’s family said, “Our hearts filled with joy at the return of Karina, Daniella, Liri and Naama. We are waiting and expecting that the moment we can hug our Arbel will come as soon as possible.”
Hamas did later issue an official statement on the continued ban on residents returning to northern Gaza, claiming that Israel was “still delaying the implementation of the terms of the ceasefire” and hostage deal.
“We hold the occupation responsible for any disruption in implementing the agreement and its repercussions on the rest of the stations [of the agreement],” Hamas added, without any mention of Yehoud.
Mediator Qatar also didn’t mention Hamas’s violation when it announced what it described as the successful completion of the second weekend of hostage and prisoner releases.
“As part of the second exchange since the ceasefire began, mediators announce the completion of the handover of 4 Israeli women hostages, one of whom holds a Bulgarian nationality, to the Israeli side in exchange for the release of 200 Palestinians from Israeli prisons,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari tweeted.
Palestinian reported dead after trying to head northward
Following the announcement regarding the delayed return of Gazans to the north of the strip, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi wrapped up an assessment with the heads of the military’s regional commands.
The IDF said Halevi discussed the military’s preparations in the Netzarim Corridor area of central Gaza and stressed the troops’ readiness to remain there “until further notice.”
Later, Palestinian media reported one dead and several wounded after IDF troops opened fire on Gazans approaching the Netzarim Corridor area.
One person was killed and several were wounded by Israeli fire on the Salah a-Din road, and some two dozen more were wounded on the coastal road, according to the reports.
The IDF did not immediately comment on the claims.
Under the deal, Israel was to withdraw from the northern half of the Netzarim Corridor on Sunday and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza via the coastal road. On day 22 of the deal, Palestinians are to be allowed to return via Salah a-Din.
The incident came hours after the IDF reiterated its warning to Palestinians against returning to northern Gaza from the south via the Netzarim Corridor, where troops are still deployed.

“We confirm that all the instructions we issued are still in effect, especially the ban on approaching the Netzarim Corridor until it is announced that it is open,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, said on X.
“The instructions will remain in effect until new instructions are issued with the transition to the next stage of the agreement and after Hamas [carries out] its commitments,” he said.
#عاجل ‼️ بيان عاجل إلى سكان قطاع غزة متابعة للبيانات التي تم إصدارها وتفاديًا لوقوع احتكاكات أو سوء الفهم:
⭕️نؤكد ان كافة التعليمات التي أصدرناها لا تزال سارية المفعول وبالأخص الحظر من الاقتراب إلى محور نتساريم حتى الإعلان عن فتحه.
⭕️التعليمات ستبقى سارية المفعول حتى إصدار… pic.twitter.com/8f9Zv1IOHA— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) January 25, 2025
Hamas was also expected to provide Israel with details on the status of the 26 remaining hostages on the list later Saturday, including long-sought specifics on which hostages are alive. There was concern in Jerusalem, however, that Hamas might merely provide an overall number of how many of the 26 are alive.