Hamas Agrees to Release Israeli Hostages Amidst Truce Implementation Crisis
Cairo, Egypt – The Islamist Hamas movement has reversed its decision and will now release Israeli hostages on Saturday. The terror organization communicated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement with Israel following mediation talks in Egypt. The agreement stipulates the release of three hostages. This development is likely to resolve the current impasse in implementing the truce.
According to Hamas, the discussions in Cairo were fruitful. The mediators, Qatar and Egypt, pledged to continue working on "removing obstacles."
Hamas had initially postponed the scheduled release of hostages on Saturday indefinitely. The group accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement, but Israel firmly rejected these allegations and threatened to resume hostilities unless more hostages were released.
In return for the hostages, Palestinian prisoners are to be released. Hamas claims that Israel will increase the number of aid shipments allowed into the devastated Gaza Strip. Heavy machinery for debris removal and housing units would also be permitted to enter the blockaded territory. However, Israel denies these claims.
Hamas alleged that Israel was not authorizing sufficient deliveries of housing units, tents, and heavy machinery for debris clearance. Furthermore, the group claims that 92 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the besieged enclave during the truce.
The Israeli authority responsible for Palestinian affairs, Cogat, refutes the accusations regarding aid supplies. It maintains that over 15,000 trucks carrying humanitarian assistance have entered Gaza during the ceasefire. These deliveries include food, drinking water, fuel, medicines, medical equipment, tents, shelters, and heavy construction equipment.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an ultimatum to Hamas to secure the release of the remaining hostages. Trump threatened that "all hell will break loose" if Hamas fails to abide by the agreement.
Netanyahu, for his part, declared that the Israeli military would re-engage in fighting if Hamas did not release the hostages. He left ambiguous how many hostages would need to be released to avert a resumption of hostilities.
Israeli media reports indicate that the Jerusalem government demands the release of all living hostages who should have been freed in the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage exchange agreements. This would amount to nine individuals.
The ceasefire and hostage deal call for the gradual exchange of 33 hostages for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Currently, there are 76 hostages still being held in Gaza. According to Israel, 36 are no longer alive, and thus negotiations pertain to the handover of their remains. Hamas has released a total of 16 Israeli hostages in five previous exchange operations. Israel, in turn, has freed hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
