Hamas stops captive release "as a warning to Israel"
The Hamas Movement announced on Monday evening that it would halt the release of captives "until further notice," citing the move as a warning to Israel and an effort to pressure it into fully adhering to the ceasefire agreement.
“We affirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation commits to them,” the movement stated, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Hamas accused Israel of multiple ceasefire violations over the past three weeks, including “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 the entry of relief supplies in all their forms according to what was agreed upon.”
Hamas further asserted that Israel has delayed the delivery of necessary medications and medical supplies and prevented the entry of tents, prefabricated homes, fuel, and equipment for removing rubble.
“By issuing this statement five full days ahead of the scheduled prisoner handover, Hamas aims to grant mediators sufficient time to pressure the occupation to fulfill its obligations,” the statement reads.
“This also leaves the door open for the exchange to proceed as planned, provided the occupation complies.”
In a post on X, Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, stated that the release of Israeli captives “who were scheduled to be released next Saturday will be postponed until further notice and until the occupation commits to and compensates for the entitlements of the past weeks retroactively.”
Israel and Hamas are in the middle of a six-week ceasefire during which Hamas is releasing dozens of the captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The two sides have carried out five swaps since the truce went into effect last month, freeing 21 Israelis and more than 730 Palestinians.
The next exchange was scheduled for Saturday, releasing three Israeli captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
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