DOHA, Qatar

Qatar said Tuesday that Israeli captive Arbel Yehud held by Palestinian factions in Gaza will be released before Friday.

“The captive, Arbel Yehud, whom Israel has requested to be released, will be handed over before Friday,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a press conference in Doha.

“We are still working to finalize the delivery date,” he added.

Israel allowed displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza on Monday after Qatar mediated an agreement between Hamas and Israel under which the Palestinian group agreed to release Yehud and two others before Friday.

Ansari said Doha is working to create favorable conditions to start negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“It is not unlikely" that the scheduled date for the start of negotiations could be moved earlier than the 16th day of the ceasefire deal “if conditions allow," he added.

"There has been no significant violation of the agreement so far, and what has occurred does not amount to an escalation that would lead to the deal's failure,” the spokesman said.

He said a Qatari-Egyptian committee tasked with checking the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza “is only inspecting vehicles returning to the north.”

“The committee’s role is limited and temporary. We should not overstate it,” he added.

Ansari denied having specific information about the reopening of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border.

“Technical committees are currently working on the destinations of the 70 Palestinian prisoners deported under the Gaza agreement, who are currently in Cairo," he added.

The first six-week phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.