Star Metro - Hamas and Israel set for next Gaza truce exchange

An Israeli campaign group on Friday 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 on Friday.

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.

- Backlash -

The fifth swap is scheduled for Saturday, but neither side has yet disclosed how many hostages Hamas will release or how many prisoners Israel will free in return.

"We have no updates" on how many hostages would be released on Saturday, the forum told AFP.

Amid the uncertainty triggered by Trump's remarks, Yaela David, whose brother Evyatar is still being held in Gaza, urged "the negotiating team to act today to complete the final details of the deal and ensure the return of all hostages".

"This must happen under this deal, and if not, there will remain a huge black stain on the history of our state," she said.

In an interview given to Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, Netanyahu said that it was his "goal to realise" the first stage.

"As for the next phase, it is much more complex but I am hopeful that we'll be able to achieve it", he said.

Despite a regional and international backlash -- and initial backtracking by members of his administration -- Trump has doubled down on his statement.

"The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting," he posted on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.

"No soldiers by the US would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!"

After Trump first floated the idea, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to prepare a plan to allow the "voluntary departure" of Gazans from the territory "to any country willing to accept them".

Israel's military said Friday the head of the US Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, met Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi this week for talks on the "regional strategic situation".

- 'Unacceptable' -

Netanyahu also voiced support for Trump's plan, announced at a joint press conference between the two leaders, calling it "the first original idea to be raised in years".

However, Hamas condemned the remarks as "absolutely unacceptable".

"Trump's remarks about Washington taking control of Gaza amount to an open declaration of intent to occupy the territory," spokesman Hazem Qassem said.

"Gaza is for its people and they will not leave."

Mediator Egypt has also warned that Israeli support for Trump's plan "weakens and destroys the negotiations on a ceasefire agreement and incites a return to fighting".

Negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire were set to begin on Monday, but there have been no details on the status of the talks.

The second stage aims to secure the release of more hostages and pave the way for a permanent end to the war, which began on October 7, 2023 with Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel.

During the attack, militants took 251 hostages to Gaza. Seventy-six remain in captivity, including 34 whom the Israeli military says are dead.

A.Lavoie--SMC