Israel, Hamas reach deal to free 6 more hostages, Trump says he wants to ‘clean out’ Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Monday that a deal was reached with Hamas to release another six hostages and that Palestinians could begin returning to the north of the war-battered Gaza Strip.

As per the deal, six of the captives are set to be released by the end of this week — three on Thursday and three on Saturday. "Hamas has backtracked and will carry out an additional phase of releasing hostages this Thursday," Netanyahu said.

The prime minister posted on X early Monday, "In parallel, Israel has received from Hamas a list that includes the status of all of the hostages due to be released in the first stage. Under these agreements, Israel will – from tomorrow morning – allow the passage of Gazans to the northern Strip."

"In this phase, the civilian Arbel Yehud, the soldier Agam Berger and an additional hostage will be released. In accordance with the agreement, three additional hostages will be released this Saturday," Netanyahu added.

The Prime Minister, however, warned that "Israel will not tolerate any violation of the agreement. We will continue to act for the return of all of our hostages, the living and the deceased."

Gaza ceasefire

During the first phase of the Gaza truce, 33 hostages are supposed to be freed in staggered releases over six weeks in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

The most recent swap saw four Israeli women hostages, all soldiers, and 200 prisoners, nearly all Palestinian, released Saturday -- the second such exchange during the fragile truce entering its second week.

Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war, 87 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 47,306 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Trump says he wants to 'clean out' Gaza

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has asked the king of Jordan to take in more Palestinians, adding that Palestinians should leave the Gaza Strip to “clean out” the enclave.

“You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," Trump was quoted by NBC news as saying on Saturday. “I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change,” he added.

Trump suggested Egypt and Jordan could be among the countries to accept more refugees. He said Gaza had become a "demolition site", adding he had spoken to Jordan's King Abdullah II about moving Palestinians out. "I'd like Egypt to take people. And I'd like Jordan to take people," Trump told reporters.

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, who is based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, "expressed strong rejection and condemnation of any projects" aimed at displacing Palestinians from Gaza, his office said.

(With inputs from agencies)