A senior Hamas official told Ynet on Tuesday morning that “there is a good chance six live hostages will be released on Shabbos.” “Negotiations are ongoing and it depends on the price Israel is willing to pay,” he continued, saying that the price is Israel’s commitment to progress to the second phase of the deal and compliance with the “humanitarian protocol clauses” in full – including the entry of trailers and heavy equipment into Gaza. According to the agreement in place, Hamas is scheduled to release four bodies on Thursday and three live hostages on Shabbos. However, Israel has been making efforts to increase the number of live hostages released in the current phase of the deal in the wake of harrowing reports of the inhumane conditions and abuse the male hostages are enduring in Gaza. In exchange, Israel plans to allow the entry of hundreds of trailers into the Strip, intended to serve as mobile homes for the Gazan residents whose homes were destroyed. If efforts to change the agreement are unsuccessful and only three live hostages are released this Shabbos, another three live hostages are scheduled to be released next Shabbos, including Israeli civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held by Hamas for over a decade. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)