Israel agrees to accept the four hostages Hamas plans to release tomorrow; protests violation to mediators

Israel has agreed to accept the four female hostages that Hamas has said it plans to release tomorrow, even though the list breaches the terms of the deal.

Israel has informed the mediators that the list of four female hostages Hamas published earlier this evening violates the agreement, which requires the terror group to release all living female civilians before releasing female soldiers, Channel 12 reports.

But after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held consultations with his security chiefs, it was ultimately decided to move forward with the list that Hamas has provided, despite the violation. Participants in the meeting determined that while Hamas violated the agreement, the violation was not serious enough to blow up the entire deal.

Hamas has reportedly informed the mediators that it remains committed to the deal and that there were simply technical complications that led to the violation.

Under the agreement, Hamas is required to first release civilian women, followed by female soldiers. Arbel Yehud, one of the female civilian hostages still held hostage is being held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not Hamas.

“Israel is preparing to receive the female hostages tomorrow,” a security source is cited saying in Hebrew media reports.

It is not yet clear whether Israel will retaliate with punitive steps of its own that violate the terms of the agreement. Israel is slated to begin allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza tomorrow. It is also required by the deal to release 50 Palestinian security prisoners for each female soldier freed.

The families of the four female hostages have not yet been formally notified by the government that their loved ones will be released tomorrow.

Those notifications are expected to take place shortly, Channel 12 says.

Later this evening, Israel is slated to publish the list of Palestinian security prisoners that it will release tomorrow.