Hamas said it would delay the release of the next tranche of Israeli captives “until further notice”, accusing Israel of failing to comply with the terms of the ceasefire deal.
The movement is due to release some Israelis on Saturday 15 February in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
However, Abu Obaida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing the Qassam Brigades, said it will be “postponed until further notice, pending the occupation’s compliance and retroactive fulfullment of the past weeks’ obligations”.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them,” he added.
Abu Obaida said the delay would continue until Israel halted its attacks on Palestinians returning to their homes in Gaza and allowed aid into the enclave at previously-agreed-to levels.
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Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said Hamas’ move was “a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and the deal to release the hostages”.
He said he had instructed the military “to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza”.
Similarly, influential right-wing MP Itamar Ben-Gvir called for “a massive air and ground offensive on Gaza and a complete halt to humanitarian aid, including electricity, fuel, and water”.
However, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which advocates for the Israeli captives, said it had turned to the mediating countries for an intervention “that would restore the deal’s implementation” and called on the government to “refrain from actions that jeopardize the signed agreement’s implementation”.
Freed detainees’ homes raided
On Saturday, Hamas freed three Israeli captives from Gaza, and Israel released 183 Palestinian detainees and prisoners from prisons across the country.
The UN said it was “deeply distressing” to see the released prisoners on both side looking emaciated following their released.
Hamas and other Palestinian fighters captured 250 people during their attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. Israel meanwhile holds around 10,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, including 365 children.
Families of Israeli captives fear Trump’s Gaza plan could derail their release
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There are 17 Israelis still to be released during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that began last month and 73 still in captivity overall, many of whom are believed dead.
Israeli forces raided the homes of several Palestinian prisoners being released on Saturday, the Palestinian Prisoners Media Office said. The raids took place across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Seven of the released Palestinians were taken to hospital on Saturday. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said some of them were in serious condition.
Last week US President Donald Trump told reporters that he could not confirm whether the ceasefire would hold.
In an explosive press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US would “take over” the Gaza Strip and “own it”, forcibly displacing Palestinians from the enclave.
“If it’s necessary, we’ll do that; we’re going to take over that piece. We’re going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of.”
Hamas denounced Trump’s plans, saying they would “bring them down as we brought down the projects before them”.
Hamas, as well as some Israelis, have also accused the government of stalling on the negotiations.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of stalling for time and risking the lives of those still held in Gaza.
