Jerusalem — A Hamas spokesman on Monday accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement with the group, including targeting Palestinians in Gaza with airstrikes, and said that the next hostage release, scheduled for Saturday, would be delayed.
Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas — long designated a terrorist group by the U.S. and Israeli governments — is releasing dozens of the hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The sides have carried out five swaps since the ceasefire went into effect last month, freeing 18 hostages, including Keith Siegel, who has dual U.S.-Israeli nationality, and over 730 Palestinian prisoners. The next exchange was scheduled for Saturday, when three more Israeli hostages were to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israel on Monday of systematically violating the ceasefire agreement over the past three weeks, and said the Saturday release would be delayed.
“The resistance leadership has closely monitored the enemy’s violations and its failure to uphold the terms of the agreement,” Abu Ubaida said. “This includes delays in allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, targeting them with airstrikes and gunfire across various areas of the Strip, and failing to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid as agreed.”
After the most recent exchange on Feb. 8, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the three male hostages released by Hamas “have endured hell itself,” after seeing the state of the men, who were emaciated.
“There can be no more delays — a second stage of the hostage deal must be implemented immediately,” the families group said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement after the exchange that, “due to the serious condition of the three hostages and the repeated violations by the Hamas terrorist organization,” Netanyahu had “instructed to not allow the situation to go unaddressed, and to take appropriate measures.”
There was no indication from Netanyahu’s office over the weekend what measures would be taken.
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that troops had “operated to distance suspects who posed a threat to them in different areas of the Gaza Strip,” including warning shots fired at a “suspicious vessel” seen offshore and a suspect seen approaching troops in the south of the enclave.
“The IDF is committed to fully implementing the conditions of the agreement for the return of the hostages,” the military said in its statement, adding that it was also “prepared for any scenario and will continue to take any necessary actions to thwart immediate threat to IDF soldiers.”
Negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire — which was brokered by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt — have begun, but President Trump has added complexity to the situation by suggesting the U.S. could “take over” Gaza.
The plan put forth by the American leader, which he’s not backed down from, has drawn tentative backing from Netanyahu’s administration but been roundly condemned by many nations in the region and around the world, including the neighbors of Israel to which Mr. Trump said Gaza’s population should be relocated.
