Hamas Delays Hostage Release over Israeli 'Violations' of Ceasefire Agreement

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian militant group , announced on Monday, 10 February, the delay of the release of hostages scheduled for this Saturday until further notice.

According to Anadolu, they cited Israel's violations of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza as the reason for the postponement.

"For the past three weeks, the resistance leadership has been monitoring the violations committed by the enemy (Israel) and its failure to adhere to the terms of the agreement," said spokesperson Abu Obaida in a statement on Telegram.

"These include delaying the return of displaced people to northern Gaza, targeting them with shelling and gunfire in various areas of the Gaza Strip, and preventing the entry of humanitarian aid in all forms as per the agreement, while the resistance has fully upheld its commitments."

Therefore, he added, the release of Zionist prisoners, scheduled for this coming Saturday, will be postponed until further notice, pending the occupation’s full compliance with the agreement and compensation for the past weeks' entitlements retroactively.

The spokesperson stated that the group remains committed to the agreement "as long as" Israel "adheres to its terms."

Following this announcement, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the military to prepare at the "highest level of alert" for any possible scenarios in Gaza.

Gallant said Hamas' announcement was a "direct violation" of the ceasefire agreement and added, "I have instructed the Israeli military to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenarios in Gaza."

Meanwhile, the families of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government not to obstruct a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

"We urgently seek help from the mediating countries (Egypt, Qatar, and the United States) to assist in restoring and effectively implementing the existing agreement," said the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in a statement.

The forum urged the government to refrain from any actions that could jeopardize the agreement and to remain committed to securing the return of 76 Israeli captives.

A three-stage ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since January 19, temporarily halting Israel’s military offensive, which has resulted in over 48,200 Palestinian casualties and widespread destruction in the region.

During the initial phase of the truce, which lasted until early March, an exchange was arranged in which 33 Israeli hostages would be freed in return for several Palestinian detainees. This week was set to mark the sixth round of prisoner swaps between Israel and Hamas.

In November of last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

Additionally, Israel is currently facing a genocide lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) due to its ongoing military actions in the region.

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