Hamas announced Monday, February 10, it would postpone any further hostage-prisoner exchanges under a fragile Gaza ceasefire, accusing Israel of violations, while Israel said its military was readying for "any possible scenario."
A spokesperson for Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement that the next hostage release, "which was scheduled for next Saturday, February 15, 2025, will be postponed until further notice," accusing Israel of failing to comply with the terms of the truce.
The spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, said the resumption of hostage-prisoner exchanges was "pending the (Israeli) occupation's compliance and retroactive fulfillment of the past weeks' obligations," without specifying. "We reaffirm our commitment to the terms of the agreement as long as the occupation adheres to them," he said.
The statement was issued as negotiators were due to meet in the coming days in Qatar to discuss the implementation of the truce's first 42-day phase, as well as potentially the next phases which have yet to be finalized.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Hamas announcement was a "complete violation" of the ceasefire agreement, signaling that fighting could resume. "I have instructed the IDF (military) to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza," Katz said in a statement.
The ceasefire that went into effect on January 19 largely halted more than 15 months of fighting in the Gaza Strip and saw five groups of Israeli hostages freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli custody.