A Hamas spokesman said the Palestinian resistance group would delay the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday until further notice, due to Israeli violations of the ongoing cease-fire agreement.
Israel and Hamas are in the midst of a six-week cease-fire during which Hamas is releasing dozens of the hostages captured in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The sides have carried out five swaps since the cease-fire went into effect last month, freeing 21 hostages and over 730 prisoners. The next exchange was scheduled for Saturday, releasing three Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, accused Israel on Monday of systematically violating the cease-fire agreement over the past three weeks, and said Saturday's release would be delayed.
Later on Monday, the Palestinian group said that it had fully met its obligations under the Gaza cease-fire agreement "accurately and on time," while accusing Israel of violating four key provisions of the deal.
Hamas said it intentionally announced the delay five days before the scheduled release to give the mediators (Egypt, Qatar and the U.S.) time to pressure Israel into compliance.
The group reiterated its commitment to the cease-fire agreement, saying it would uphold the deal "as long as the Zionist occupation does the same." It stressed that it had met all its obligations "with precision and within the agreed-upon timeframe."
According to Hamas, Israel violated the agreement in four ways: delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, targeting Palestinians with airstrikes and gunfire, obstructing the entry of shelter supplies, and slowing the delivery of essential medical aid.
The three-phase cease-fire deal has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel's genocidal war that has killed more than 48,000 people and left the enclave in ruins.
In phase one of the truce, which runs until early March, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners. The sixth Israeli-Hamas swap was set for this week.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
