Israel and Hamas in talks to double the number of hostages released this weekend

JERUSALEM — Israel is preparing to receive six hostages Saturday, in addition to a number of captives’ bodies to be delivered from Gaza on Thursday, a source briefed on the talks told NBC News on Monday.

Talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt are ongoing, said the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, and would involve Israel sending in a number of temporary housing structures into the besieged Palestinian enclave.

That would be more than the number of Israeli hostages that have been released every Saturday since the ceasefire was agreed on Jan. 19. So far, Hamas has sent the names of those to be released on the Friday before the exchange, which has also involved the freeing of dozens of Palestinian detainees and prisoners.

The source said there were also discussions about handing over the bodies of deceased hostages on Thursday.

Six live hostages and eight dead ones remain out of the 33 due to be released in the first phase of the three-part ceasefire deal Hamas and Israel agreed to on Jan. 19.

Israel’s security cabinet earlier met to discuss the second phase of ceasefire, even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his support for President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to take over Gaza.

Following a call with Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, Netanyahu instructed Israel’s negotiating team to depart for the Egyptian capital of Cairo to discuss the “continuation of the implementation” of the first stage of the deal, the Israeli leader’s office said in a statement Sunday.

Netanyahu’s office said the negotiating team would receive “instructions for the continuation of negotiations on Phase B issues” after the Israeli security cabinet’s discussion on the matter. The prime minister’s office also pushed back on reports suggesting Israel had dispatched the negotiating team under U.S. pressure.