Hamas Delays Second Hostage Release, Israel Sets Midnight Deadline
The armed wing of Hamas has announced that it will postpone the second round of hostage releases until Israel allows aid trucks to enter northern Gaza. The al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas stated that the release of the hostages would be delayed if Israel did not adhere to the agreed terms for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli media reported that unless the hostages were released by midnight, the military would resume its offensive in Gaza. This statement was made by an unnamed security source and was carried by several news outlets including Channel 13, N12 News, and Ynet news website.
Earlier, an Israeli military spokesperson had informed France’s BFM television station that 13 Israeli hostages were expected to be freed, while 39 Palestinian prisoners would be released in return. The truce deal between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, stipulates the exchange of a total of 50 hostages for 150 Palestinian prisoners over a span of four days.
However, this setback occurred just hours after Egypt, which controls the Rafah border crossing into southern Gaza, announced that it had received positive signals from all parties regarding a possible extension of the deal. Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt’s State Information Service, stated that Cairo was engaged in extensive talks with all parties to reach an agreement that would result in the release of more detainees in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Israel has expressed that the ceasefire could be extended if Hamas continues to release hostages at a rate of at least 10 per day. On the other hand, a Palestinian source has suggested that up to 100 hostages could be set free. While both Israel and Hamas have stated that hostilities would resume once the truce ends, U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed optimism about the possibility of extending the truce.
(Note: This story has been published from a syndicated feed without any editing by NDTV staff, except for the headline.)
