The spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing announced on Monday that the next Israeli hostage release has been postponed until “further notice,” citing Israeli ceasefire violations.
Since the ceasefire went into effect on January 19, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, including three who were killed on Sunday while trying to return to their homes near Gaza City. Gaza officials have said Israel has also not let in sufficient aid deliveries into Gaza, including materials needed to provide temporary housing for Palestinians.
“The leadership of the resistance has monitored the enemy’s violations and failure to abide by the terms of the agreement during the past three weeks; from delaying the return of the displaced to the northern Gaza Strip, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Strip, and not allowing relief supplies of all kinds to enter as agreed upon, while the resistance has implemented all its obligations,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.
Obeida said the next hostage release scheduled for February 15 is delayed until “the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively, and we affirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation commits to them.”
In response to Hamas’s announcement, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said it was a “complete violation of the ceasefire agreement and hostage deal” and ordered the Israeli military to be on “the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the [Gaza border] communities.”
Hamas’s announcement came a day after Haaretz reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to sabotage the ceasefire deal and that the Israeli negotiators in Qatar aren’t expected to bring the deal into its second phase. One Israeli source said that once Hamas realizes there won’t be a second phase, it “may not complete the first.”
One reason why Hamas may suspect there won’t be a second phase is President Trump announcing his intention for the US to “take over” Gaza and remove the Palestinians permanently. Since Palestinians don’t want to leave Gaza, the plan would require Israel to restart its genocidal war.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told Al Jazeera that Israel was “intentionally sabotaging” the ceasefire deal. “We are committed to the ceasefire agreement, we have done our part. We have fulfilled all our obligations and we are still committed and we are working to avoid any obstacles and overcome any challenges. The Israelis are intentionally sabotaging the deal and undermining the agreement,” he said.
Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of the Jewish Power party who quit the Netanyahu government over the ceasefire deal, has called for Israel to immediately start bombing Gaza.
“Hamas’s announcement should have one real-life response: a massive fire attack on Gaza, from the air and land, alongside a complete halt to humanitarian aid to the Strip, including electricity, fuel, and water, and including the bombing of aid packages that have already been brought in and are in Hamas’ hands in Gaza,” Ben Gvir wrote on X. “We must return to war and destroy.”