Jerusalem: Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday announce that it would stop releasing Israeli hostages until further notice, citing Israeli violations of a ceasefire agreement. In response, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Hamas had already breached the ceasefire and directed the military to prepare for action in Gaza and protect Israeli communities.
Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida said that since the ceasefire began on January 19, Israel had hindered displaced Palestinians’ return to northern Gaza, continued military shelling and gunfire and blocked the entry of humanitarian aid.
Hamas stops hostage release
The ceasefire has mostly held for the past three weeks, although there have been a few incidents of Palestinians being killed by Israeli gunfire. Aid groups report that the flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza has increased since the ceasefire began. Ubaida further said that Hamas would not release more hostages until Israel fulfills its obligations and compensates for the past actions. A new exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners was set to happen on Saturday.
So far, 16 out of the 33 hostages scheduled for release in the first 42 days of the deal have been freed, along with five Thai hostages in an unscheduled release. In return, Israel has released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences and detainees held without charge.
Mistrust slow peace talks
However, Hamas has accused Israel of delaying aid to Gaza, a condition of the agreement, which Israel denies. Israel, on the other hand, has accused Hamas of not following the agreed order of hostages’ release and staging public displays when hostages were handed over to the Red Cross. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said a delegation returned from ceasefire talks in Qatar, with no clear details on their return. A Palestinian official saidthe mistrust between the two sides was slowing progress.
US President Trump’s controversial remarks about moving Palestinians out of Gaza to create a real estate project have complicated expectations for Gaza’s future. Netanyahu supported Trump’s statements, irritating Egypt, which is brokering the ceasefire talks. Delays in troop withdrawal and aid entry into Gaza have also caused frustration. Talks on a second stage of the deal, including more hostages’ release, are progressing slowly, with no major breakthroughs.
