CAIRO (AP) — A top Hamas official says the group will free six living Israeli hostages on Saturday and return the bodies of four others on Thursday, a surprise acceleration in releases apparently in trade for Israel’s allowing mobile homes and construction equipment into the devastated Gaza Strip.

Israel is amassing troops in and around the Gaza Strip ahead of the upcoming Hamas hostage release, which the Palestinian militant group threatened to delay after accusing Israel of violating the

Progress has reportedly been made in indirect negotiations between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas on accelerating the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip. Israeli media reported on Tuesday that potentially six,