Militants from Hamas and allied groups Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees arrived at a site in Khan Younis in Gaza ahead of the handover of Israeli hostages on Thursday Hamas sources and witnesses said,

The civilian, Arbel Yehud, should have been among the first two groups of hostages released on Jan. 19 and Jan. 25 under the cease-fire deal, according to the Israeli authorities.

The Islamist group Hamas said Monday that eight of 33 hostages to be released from the Gaza Strip in the first phase of a ceasefire agreement with Israel are dead. Twenty-five of them are still alive,

Mediator Qatar has announced that an agreement has been reached to release an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return to northern