Hamas will release more Israeli hostages this week, officials said Monday, including Agam Berger, who was not released along with four of her colleagues on Saturday.

Palestinian militant group Hamas will hand over female Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud and two other hostages before Friday, mediator Qatar said on Sunday, and Israel said it would allow residents of the northern Gaza Strip to go back home early on Monday.

Hundreds of Palestinians began gathering in Wadi Gaza on Saturday hoping to cross back to their homes into the northern part of the Strip. View on euronews

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached, after his office had said earlier there were last minute snags in finalizing a ceasefire that would pause 15 months of war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a deal to return Hamas-held hostages in the Gaza Strip has been reached. The announcement came a day after Netanyahu’s office said there were last-minute snags in talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Israel said Palestinians could begin returning to the north of the war-battered Gaza Strip on Monday after a deal was reached with Hamas for the release of another six hostages, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

Palestinian militants and Israel carried out a hostage-prisoner swap on Saturday under a Gaza ceasefire deal, but a last-minute dispute blocked the expected return of hundreds of thousands of Palestin

Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaching the terms of the ceasefire deal on Saturday after four more hostages were released from Gaza.

Netanyahu confirmed that Hamas would free another six hostages in the coming week. Meanwhile, a ceasefire deal between Lebanon and Israel has been extended until February 18. DW has the latest.