Israel committed to Gaza peace deal: Israeli diplomat

New Delhi: Israel will continue to follow the Gaza peace deal until all the hostages return, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy here Fares Saeb said.

"We will follow the deal signed until we see all our hostages back; the living ones to continue their lives with their families and the deceased ones to receive a proper burial and funeral back at their homes," he told PTI here on Monday on the sidelines of an event.

The Israeli diplomat hoped for the smooth conclusion of the first phase of the negotiations.

"After the first phase, Hamas tried to break the deal by not releasing the last female civilian hostage. We viewed this as a breach but chose not to break the entire deal because we want our hostages back. We proceeded with the second step and halted the movement of Gazans to the north until Hamas adheres to the agreement.

"We hope to see the release of two female hostages, one civilian and one soldier, along with five male civilians in the next few days," the Israeli diplomat emphasized.

Early on Monday, Qatar stated that Hamas would release the civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, along with two others before Friday. In response, Israeli officials agreed to allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza starting Monday.

Around 90 hostages are still believed to be in captivity.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event related to Holocaust Remembrance Day, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh expressed happiness over the progress made in the Middle East.

"I am very happy to note that the progress that is being made to resolve the conflict is very much underway. The release of the hostages and the peace talks will hopefully pave the way for a lasting solution to this conflict," he said.

On October 7, 2023, the terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, with around 200 becoming hostages.

"We cannot be mute spectators when such acts of terrorism occur. Silence and inaction have historically allowed hate and violence to flourish," the minister emphasised.

The minister expressed that India views with concern the increasing instances of racial and religious intolerance and xenophobia, which continue to challenge global values such as peace, justice, the rule of law, and territorial integrity.