Gaza, MINA – Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, announced on Monday the postponement of the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday until further notice, citing Israeli “violations” of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Anadolu Agency reported.
“For the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has been monitoring the enemy’s (Israeli) violations and its failure to comply with the terms of the agreement, including delaying the return of those displaced to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and shooting in various areas of the Gaza Strip, and preventing the entry of humanitarian aid in all its forms according to the agreement, while the resistance has fully upheld its commitments,” spokesman Abu Obaida said in a statement on Telegram.
“Therefore, the release of the Zionist (Israeli) prisoners, scheduled for next Saturday, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation’s full compliance with the agreement and retroactive compensation for last week’s rights,” he added.
The spokesman said the group remains committed to the agreement “as long as” Israel “complies with its terms.”
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Following the announcement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the army to prepare at the “highest level of alert” for any possible scenario in Gaza.
Katz said Hamas’ announcement was a “direct violation” of the ceasefire agreement, adding: “I instructed the Israeli army to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza.” Meanwhile, families of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government not to block a prisoner swap deal with Hamas.
“We have urgently requested assistance from the mediators (Egypt, Qatar and the US) to help restore and effectively implement the existing agreement,” the Hostages and Families of the Missing Forum said in a statement.
The forum called on the government to refrain from any action that could jeopardize the deal and remain committed to securing the return of the 76 Israeli prisoners.
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A three-phase ceasefire deal has been in effect in Gaza since January 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 48,000 people and devastated the enclave.
In the first phase of the ceasefire, which runs until early March, 33 Israeli hostages were to be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners. A sixth Israel-Hamas swap is scheduled for this week. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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