Hamas said it will delay an Israeli hostage release scheduled for Feb. 15 until further notice due to Israel’s alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement, a spokesman for the terror group stated.
Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, posted a statement to Telegram that the terror group had “monitored” Israeli violations for the past three weeks, specifically accusing it of delaying the return of Gazans who fled the northern Gaza Strip, targeting Gazans with shelling and gunfire, and not allowing the entry of supplies.
“Accordingly, the handover of the Zionist prisoners who were scheduled to be released next Saturday will be postponed until further notice, and until the occupation commits to compensating for the past weeks retroactively,” he said.
Hamas claimed that it had fulfilled “all its obligations.”
Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz called Hamas’s announcement an “outright violation of the ceasefire.”
“I instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and to protect the [border] communities. We will not return to the reality of October 7,” Katz said.
The terror group’s statement comes two days after Hamas released three Israeli hostages—Or Levy, 34; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Ohad Ben Ami, 56. They were in a frail and emaciated condition after 491 days in captivity following their abduction during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed shock on Sunday at their condition, comparing them to Holocaust survivors.
“At some point, we are going to lose our patience” with Hamas, he warned. “They [the hostages] look like they haven’t had a meal in a month. There’s no reason for that. I don’t know how much longer we can take it.”
An Israeli delegation arrived in Doha, Qatar on Feb. 8 to continue negotiations with Hamas regarding the second phase of the ceasefire. U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is mediating the latest round of talks.
According to Israeli estimates, there are 76 hostages still in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 73 abducted during the Oct. 7 attacks.
