Hamas and Israel set for next Gaza truce exchange

AFP | Gaza

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Israel and Hamas are due to exchange more hostages and prisoners today, but the backlash over President Donald Trump’s proposal for a US Gaza takeover casts doubt over the fragile truce’s future.

An Israeli campaign group yesterday urged the government to stick with the Gaza truce ahead of a fifth hostage-prisoner swap, even as Trump’s comments sparked uproar across the Middle East and beyond.

Since his declaration during a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has ordered its military to prepare for the “voluntary” relocation of Gazans, while Hamas has rejected Trump’s plans as “absolutely unacceptable”.

Hamas and Israel are due to carry out a fifth swap of hostages and prisoners on Saturday under the January 19 ceasefire.

“An entire nation demands to see the hostages return home... Now is the time to ensure the agreement is completed until the very last one,” Israeli campaign group the Hostage and Missing Families Forum said in a statement yesterday.

Israel and Hamas have completed four swaps under the first stage of the ceasefire agreement. Palestinian militants, led by Hamas, have so far freed 18 hostages in exchange for around 600 Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails. The ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, aims to secure the release of 33 hostages during the first 42-day phase of the agreement.